| In the Web |
| 10 Steps to an Appealing, Effective and Profitable Web Site |
A Web site has only seconds to make a good first impression. So how do you take advantage of these precious seconds to inform, convince, or impress your audience? By following these 10 easy steps to make your Web site more appealing, effective - and profitable.
1. State your value proposition up front
Let users know immediately what they will find on your site. Prominently display your logo and state your business name and what business you are in. Again, you only have a few seconds to make an impression. If a user has to click through the site just to find out you manufacture widgets and are not the financial services company she was looking for, it's highly doubtful you will see that user again, even if she is in the market for widgets in the future.
2. Be organized
Plan your site with your customer in mind. Put yourself in your customers' shoes and organize your information according to their needs, not how your organization or internal information is organized. A well thought out, researched and user-tested site architecture and navigation will be greatly appreciated by Internet users who prefer to skim rather than read in-depth. Also, for sites with large amounts of content and many layers of navigation, provide a search tool for your users.
3. Keep it relevant
Present only the information that is relevant to your Web site objectives. Providing photos, narration and results of the sack race at the company picnic may be entertaining to you and your employees, and possibly some users, but unless those pictures and Web pages are presenting your product or service, they are taking up valuable real estate, slowing down load times, and adding to the clutter that may obscure your important information.
4. Be consistent
Consistency, in your look and feel and in the way each page is organized, makes it easier for the user to find the information they were looking for and reinforces your brand and identity. If possible, maintain the consistency across your marketing materials for a more cohesive, easily recognizable brand.
5. Keep it fast
The "intro movie" is pretty and impressive, and that dancing dog sure is cute, but images, photographs, music and other flashy graphics slow down a site's load time, cutting into those valuable seconds you have to impress. Be original, make it attractive, but consider your site's file size and the computing capabilities and Internet access speeds of your target audience. At times, sound, music, movies and other media are necessary to present your company's products or services. However, give the user the discretion to sample multimedia presentations when they have either more time or access to higher bandwidth Internet connections.
6. Keep it fresh
Continually update your site content and make it easy for users to find the latest information. Your Web site is the cheapest method for disseminating timely information. Make good use of it to inform your clients and customers of new products, services, or relevant news. Nothing looks less credible than a site with outdated information. Don't let your information "rot" on your site. Show you care for your customer by keeping it fresh.
7. Encourage interaction
Your customers are your best measure of success. Interact with them as much as possible through your Web site. Do not just provide a "contact" link that opens up an e-mail program; give users focused forms for customer service and feedback. Use the interactivity of the Internet to solicit opinions and ideas or conduct polls, questionnaires or online research.
8. Be flexible
Your Web site is not a static print piece or catalog. It is an easily updateable, flexible tool for providing information. This allows you to easily respond to changes based on market fluctuations, customer reaction or any number of external and internal forces that affect your business. Make sure your site structure and business model are prepared for the changes. Your clients and customers will greatly appreciate your timeliness and ability to adapt. Your Web site statistics are a valuable tool in gauging Web traffic, page views, and user preferences. If you maintain your flexibility, you can quickly and easily respond to user demands.
9. Personalize
With the advancements in Web technologies, it is becoming increasingly easier and cost effective to provide customization and personalization to your site. The personalization possibilities are endless - returning users can see what has been added to the site since their last visit; through preferences, users can see only information relevant to their interests; levels of access may be set for various types of users, limiting or targeting information based on groups; etc.
10. Meta-information and search engines
Make sure your "metatags" and search engine listing are up to date and relevant to your site's content. Metatags are lines of code at the beginning of your site that allow for a description of your business as well as associated "keywords." This information is used by Internet search engines to categorize, or index your site. While search engines are getting more sophisticated and precise, it is still important that metatag information be concise and informative.
Also, many so-called search engines are really indexing services, much like a phone book. As with a phone book, make sure your information is correct, up-to-date, and that you are listed under the appropriate categories for your business type.
Bonus 11th Step! Consider Hiring a Professional
While the ideas presented here seem simple and easy enough to implement, a majority of Web sites today do not follow these principals. Many companies consider their Web site only as an afterthought and push its creation and maintenance on someone completely unfamiliar with a Web site's uses, capabilities and possibilities as well as online users and customer's needs. While it is true some companies got burned spending tens-of-thousands of dollars on bloated, ineffectual or unnecessary Web sites in the past, outsourcing or hiring a professional service is a cost-effective and smart solution.
Web design, development and marketing firms understand the capabilities and limitations of the Internet and its technologies and can tailor a solution for you based on customer and client needs and wants, your internal business structure, and your budget. An experienced Web development firm follows the steps above to help you determine and achieve your Web site, and company, goals and objectives. Much like you wouldn't normally trust an untrained, unskilled, and uninformed person or firm to construct your company headquarters, why trust your company's Web site, its public face, to someone unfamiliar with Web site construction, site architecture, Web usability, and Web design?
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