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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

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.

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.