Web Design

Thinking About Building a Website?

The web is powerful, yet relatively few small businesses (SMEs) have websites, preferring to rely on word of mouth as their best source of leads. While it is true that referrals are probably your primary source of new customers, it is also true that many of those referrals will check your credibility by searching for you online. They may find references to you in Facebook or on Twitter, listings in directories, or comments on blogs. It makes sense to ensure that the first words they read about you come from you. A well designed website that appears high in the search engine results in essential.

Consider these points:

Your market is online. With over one billion people online, you can be sure that a large part of your market surfs the web on a regular basis. The top reason for going online is to find information including in-depth descriptions of services, products and companies through visits to vendor’s websites and online reviews.

Validation and credibility. A website validates your business and shows that you are serious enough to invest a bit of time and money to engage the attention of people who want to meet you.

Protection. Your online presence includes not only your own website(s), but information written about you or your products/services on social media sites like Facebook, on blogs, and on review sites like epinions.com. You need to be online to counter discouraging comments and to protect your brand.

Mass marketing to a wide audience. A website is one of the least expensive methods of mass marketing.

A basic site costs about the same as an ad in the Yellow Pages. In fact, what other advertising medium costs this little and reaches this many? And unlike most advertising channels that require regular substantial fees, the price of keeping your website up-to-date is negligible, if you build it using sound principles.

ONE. As with any business venture, to succeed a website needs goals and a plan designed to achieve those goals.

TWO. Traffic is an essential part of success and so every site should inlcude search engine optimization (SEO) and a social media campaign. .

THREE. Protect the privacy of visitors. Develop a policy that holds you and your staff accountable for managing information visitors supply you online and let visitors know that you care about their safety.

FOUR. Enhance the experience of your visitors:

• optimize the site for speed
• make the site easy to use (usability) and attractive
• provide interesting, relevant and unique information that responds to the needs of visitors, and
• keep the site up-to-date.

FIVE. Ensure that your website conforms to the corporate brand or style guide.

Once you have a website, you need to review it frequently.

If you believe that your website is failing you, then talk to us about your options. Our first question will probably ask what you want your website to achieve. From there we can give you suggestions about why it isn’t achieving the results you want and what can be done.