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There is a BIG difference between a good-looking website and a website that works.  99.999% of businesses are aware that they need a website. However a large percentage of those businesses do not know that their website could hurt them rather than help them.

Many websites are created in-house by various different employees, which is usually a big mistake.  Just because your administrator took a class in college or plays on the internet a lot does not mean they are capable of creating and designing a workable website that will generate leads and grow your business.

Another common mistake is not putting your contact info on the homepage in the upper right hand corner. Rather they put it down on the bottom of the page or only on the Contact Us page.  The issue with this is that we are all time poor and have no attention spans while surfing the web.  We know what we want and we want to get it in about 30 seconds by searching via Google, Yahoo or MSN.

I have also come across several Brochure sites meaning they are used as a reference only.  A reference only site is not really a working site, but an online brochure that you can direct companies you already have contact with to but does not work well to generate new business.

The last mistake people make is a lack of links.  There are sites that will link to your site and sites you should link yours to.  This adds credibility to your site, making it more resourceful if you have good links, but more importantly, the linking process helps gain relevance for Google, Yahoo and MSN Search algorithms. This will help your site show-up higher in natural or “unpaid” listings in the search results.

So How Do You Make Your Site Fabulous?
A website that works is one that has several different elements incorporated into it.  Everyone knows that your website should look nice and be in keeping with your specific industry and branding, but there a few other things you need to do before your website is fabulous.

• It should be updated every 1 to 2 years depending on your industry.
• The navigation should be easy and clear for your visitors to understand.
• You should always have your contact information (phone #) visible on every page.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) is an element that is more important than any of the other elements.  SEO is what gets your website found by consumers and businesses searching for your product or service.
• Tracking with Google analytics or any other analytics program is an easy way to gauge the growth your company is driving from your site.

By optimizing and building a working website, that incorporates all these elements, you can generate leads online and find your business growing.

Advice: Use a professional web designer/developer to create and launch your website.

Chio –
Lennea Israelson

Writing for the Web can be a bit tricky. It’s different than writing for any other medium because you really want to engage the reader and get them to take action immediately, right there on the site. With the average user spending a maximum of 7-12 minutes on a site, you have very little time to catch their attention and persuade them to take action so its important to that your site is as clear and easy to use as possible. Keeping that in mind, here’s a few things you may also want to consider when you’re writing content for your Website.

1. Write for the Scanner – Keep your content short and break it up. When it comes to the Web, less content is almost always more. Don’t worry about using big words or impressing your readers with your extensive vocabulary. It’s about communicating, plain and simple. So keep your writing plain and simple. Lists, bullet points, headings and subheading breakup the content and make it easier to digest. Don’t be afraid to use graphics to draw the readers’ attention to important information or your compelling offers.

2. Write for your Target Audience – You want to write your content for your target audience, using a wring style appropriate for them and words they are likely to use, not industry jargon. It’s okay to speak directly to your reader using “you” rather than “our customers” or “clients.” It sets a more conversational tone, which is typical for the Web and it conveys a more personal message, which can also be an affective advertising strategy.

3. Write for the Searcher – An important thing Web content can do for a site is supply keywords so the site can be found in search engines. It sounds simple, but what you want to do is put the words people are searching for into your site’s copy. And unless you are one of the luck few, those words are probably not going to be your brand or company name. It may be the benefits of your product, the service you provide or the product itself. Here’s a couple of keyword generating tools that may help you identify some words your target is searching for:

Wordtracker

Google Skool

When it comes to Web copy, repetition is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s important to get those keywords into your page copy and headings a couple of times, as well as in the title and description tags.

These are some simple suggestions to help you write more effective Web copy, but when it comes down to it, content is about selling. If you want to get more out of your Website, make sure your content effectively communicates your marketing message, including competitive positioning and compelling offers, and drives your reader to take action.

When it comes to Websites, it’s easy to let the content take a back seat to the design and layout. Typically the main concern with a new site is the look and feel and the copy can get over looked, assuming most people won’t read it anyway. But isn’t it the words that drive targeted traffic to your site, that convey your marketing messages and ultimately do the selling by persuading people to take action?

Good content that persuades visitors to take action can help make the difference between your site’s success and failure.  You’ve only got 3-5 seconds to catch your readers attention, which makes it all the more important that you put the right message in front of them. So before you start putting words down on paper (or rather, up on a screen) there are a few things you may want to consider that could help you get more out of your Website.

Before You Write

• Do Your Homework – The first thing you should do before you start to write is read. Reading can help make you a better writer, but don’t just read anything.
  a. Read up on your competition; check out their Websites, find out what they are doing and how they are positioning themselves.
  b. Read your own marketing and promotional materials. Determine what you like about your past material and what you can improve on.
  c. Read tips for becoming a better writer. There are literally thousands of resources out there (for free), here are just a couple that I’ve found helpful: Writing for the Web, and Online Copywriting 101: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet.
• Define Your Target – Who’s going to be using your Website? How old are they, are they married or single, men or women, do they own a home, are they professionals or small business owners, vegetarians, Kun fu masters? Here’s a few links that might help you get started: 3 Tips to Defining Your Target Audience and Zero In On the Right Target Audience. When you know who it is you’re writing to, it’s easier to connect with them. You can target your site, your writing style and the words you choose to your reader. Find out what drives them and will persuade them to take action.
• Know Your Product – You should know your product inside and out. Know its features and its benefits. Features describe your product; benefits are what the user will gain from using that product or service. Know your unique selling proposition (why is your product or service better then what your competitors are offering?) Here’s an article on unique selling propositions that you may find useful.
• Set Objectives – What is it that you want to get out of your Website? What do you want people to do when they get to your site? Do you want them to call, download a free whitepaper, sign-up for your newsletter or make a purchase online? Once you determine what you want the user to do, you can write your Website in a way that moves your reader to take that action.

Writing is a process; you shouldn’t expect to have good, compelling copy that speaks to your target audience without first doing a little research. The more time you spend preparing to write, the easier the writing and the better your messaging will be. So stay tuned, because in part 2, which should post in the second week of March, I’ll have a few tips on writing for an online audience to share.

I remember my visit to the telephone company to get my first telephone number that I ever had while making my way to college.  The account representative at the telephone company had looked at me in a way that said “Are you sure you are ready for this kind of responsibility, buddy?”  I still laugh about it to this day because of how little I cared about whether my telephone bill got paid or not…plus I’m not sure if my attitude has changed much since then.

But in contrast to the above, not knowing whether you own your website or how to access it is no laughing matter.  As I speak to many current and prospective clients, it concerns me how little many businesses know about their website.  So I thought, I would put together a small collection of resources to answer many of the common questions I receive:

Who owns my website?
This is not the easiest question to answer because many design companies and firms have different policies regarding who owns a website.  If you are a new or an existing website owner, you would likely have to revert to the contract you originally signed with the design company/individual in question.  Unfortunately, it’s very common for a website design firm to retain ownership unless it was described otherwise in your contract.  If you are about to engage with a website design firm, I would encourage you to read the fine print and make sure it includes the details of assigning ownership before signing on the dotted line.

Where is my domain registered?
The next item of information you should know is where your domain name is registered and who registered it.  If you are unsure where it was registered, you can do a whois.net search that will reveal who it’s registered with.  If the domain name is in your name, you are in luck and you should continue to contact that registrar to get the details to login to your account.  If it’s not in your name, then you likely will have to track down the company that built the website or registered it on your behalf and get it transferred to you.

Where is my website hosted?
In many cases, the same company that built the website will also host it.  Otherwise, you or the design company, will likely purchase hosting from a 3rd party vender.  In any case, you will want to make sure that your company has control over its hosting solution.  But if you are unsure of who hosts your website, check out Who Is Hosting This to find the company.  Again, contact that company to gain access to your account.  As a general rule of thumb, I recommend not to host your website with a design company.

What do I do if my website is down?
Having a down website can be very frustrating as it can affect more than just web visitors such as your e-mail and other resources.  If you notice that your website is down, the first thing that you need to determine is whether it’s your internet service provider (ISP) or another web related issue.  Down For Everyone Or Just Me offers a fast and easy way to see if your website is down or if it’s your ISP.  If your website is down then it’s likely your hosting company (assuming your domain name hasn’t expired.)  Typically, a quick call to the hosting company can resolve this issue.  However, in severe circumstances, websites can be lost unless you take precautionary measures such as having a back-up copy of your site (ask your website design firm or IT professional) or investing in a website back-up service.

Summary
Hopefully by now, I have given you some useful resources to get a better grasp on your website properties.  However, one point that I can’t stress enough is that you should always know and protect the details of your website.  As you can see or possibly experienced, it’s very easy to lose control of your website in an effort to make your life easier by having another vendor manage it for you.  As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that you always do the following:

• Read the fine print before signing up for a new website or redesign
• Always register your domains yourself under your company name
• Host your website with a professional hosting company unless you have the resources to do it internally
• Have a website backup plan in case of catastrophic events

Lastly, don’t just have a website, own it!

A common question we receive is whether a business should consider refresh or redesign their existing website. Fielding website design questions like these are always a little touchy because many companies have an attachment to their current website that likely took a long time to get it where it is today. Additionally, complete website redesigns typically connotate higher cost, however is sometimes not the best choice given the business’s ROI objectives.

As I put my consulting hat on when I get in these tight spots, I usually start by defining the difference between the two. I believe that there lies many varying opinions on the matter and that no two are the same. Generally speaking, I define a website refresh as a website needing new content or imagery that doesn’t significantly effect the main design. Websites that are usually 2 - 3 years old fall into this category for a variety of reasons such as dated content, new products or services are available, or the website requires some minor image enhancements. Companies that are considering refreshing their website should ask themselves the following questions:

1. Is the appearance of their website in keeping industry competitors?
2. Do the marketing messages remain consistent with the brands strength?
3. Is the website achieving a healthy ROI that could be enhanced by a website refresh?

If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, then a website redesign is likely in your future. Redesigns in contrast to website refresh’s encompass everything that is mentioned above with the addition of a complete new design. I would be inclined to guess that over 80% of the websites we encounter fall into this category as most of them are older than 2 - 3 years or significant industry competition has raised the bar enough to require continual innovative redesign. What seems like a potentially long costly project, is likely a blessing in disguise because a website redesign focuses attention to all of the variables that affect conversion (what your website will ultimately produce.) Moreover, a major component to the conversion equation is offering a perceived experience (by design) that is better than your competitors.

When you put it all together, consumers and businesses are savvy enough to formulate a “stereotype” of your business just by your websites appearance and content. Simply put, if your website doesn’t clearly communicate to its target market with these key variables in mind, then a website refresh or redesign will be likely required to achieve your business objectives.