| Having a website for your company or business is no longer an option exercised only if you have a large operation or are involved in technology. It's now mandatory for practically any kind of business who has products or services to offer, and the savings realized from leveraging a highly effective business website cannot be ignored by any business looking to increase its bottom line.
If you already have a website for your company or are just getting started, you need to consider many factors on how the site will serve both your customers and your company. Company websites can be used in a variety of ways, including:
A Good First Impression
Whether your business serves a local community or reaches around the globe, your website is an important business asset that can be used to lower your cost of doing business and/or increase sales. It reflects your company's image and is many times the first impression that a new customer or vendor may get of your company. Network television had gotten us accustomed to flashy graphics and well organized content, so customers expectations are higher when it comes to look and feel. A well designed website will elevate the perception of your company's image to all who view it and contribute to the success of your company's mission. If the evening weather report looks better than your website-- perhaps it's time to consider a facelift! Customers are more willing to trust and do business with a company that has a professional online presence with easy to navigate pages.
Keep It Fresh
A website is only effective if people use it! Generally you will want to have customers or prospects return to your website often so that you can continue to create new revenue opportunities. Having “stale” content assures that most visitors will not have any good reason to return to your website. Keeping your content fresh and offering interesting information is key to driving traffic to your site. Provide value-added content like newsletters, how-to articles or links to other useful websites can keep them coming back. If you have a service-type of business, providing online support information such as technical articles, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), and software downloads will not only drive traffic to your website, but can lower your cost of operations if customers can find their answers easily on your website.
Many companies use website development firms like NorthwestNet to keep their content updated and their graphics shiny, but others cannot justify the cost for an outside consultant. The good news is that there are now many good online tools available to let you or someone in your company easily update your website without having to spend much time learning or purchasing any software. These tools allow the authenticated user the ability to modify text, ad pictures, add/delete pages, etc. only by logging-in to their website Content Management System. Find out if your current or prospective service provided can offer these tools.
Make It Easy
Your visitors may not have much time to spend on your site, so you want to make sure that you have it designed with ease-of-use in mind. A good website designer will create your site with intuitive navigation and work with you to create categories that make sense in the context of your business. Using special technologies like DHTML and JavaScript can help to ease navigation headaches if you have a lot of content to publish. Over-use of these tools can slow page loading times and inhibit search engines. A knowledgeable website design firm who is on top of the latest technologies and techniques may cost a bit more, but they will build your site correctly and make it flexible enough to grow as your business grows.
Can It Be Found?
Ok, so you've got a great website developed with the best technology and a look that no mother could resist. Like that gift shop on a desert highway, your website is pretty useless unless you can get visitors to stop by. Obviously you will want to promote your site using traditional media, like brochures, business cards, signage and including your URL on all marketing and PR messages. Enrolling in local directory services and 'yellow pages'-type search engines will help, if those services are suitable for your business and well advertised. That pretty much let's those in your “local circle of influence” know about your website, but what about those other 938,710,929 users in the world?
Using search engines like Google and Yahoo is an excellent way to get customers to your website and expand your reach beyond your current business community. Better yet, these services provide tools that drive qualified customers to your site, filtering out most of the gee-whiz curious tire-kickers that might use up your resources with no positive results. Getting high search engine rankings is key to having customers find you online but this is no small feat. Proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing is a blending of creativity, technical expertise and experience. If you want to expand your market and have favorable results with the major search engines, be sure to hire a firm that has the experience and knowledge to develop your SEM campaigns effectively and within budget.
Wrapping It Up
Investing in an effective business presence on the Internet can both boost sales and help lower operating costs for your company. Since it is one of the most ubiquitous media you have in your operational arsenal, be sure that you allocate a fair amount in your budget for development and maintenance to keep it fresh and growing in stride with your business. Treat your website like you would your best employee since after all, it's greeting a lot of new and current customers on your behalf!
(Editor's Note: Bob Malecki is founder and president of NorthwestNet, a business website development and marketing firm located in Poulsbo. Reach him at 360-779-0303 or bob@nwnet.us.) | 