Websites – The Raw Facts To Get an Effective Business Website

A good website is a combination of many different elements; it has to be pleasing to the eye, functional, user friendly and to be easily found in order to get the best return on your investment. That investment being your valuable time or your hard earned cash. Do things the right way and it will become a valuable tool in your marketing strategy, paying for itself many times over.

Here’s looking at you

A website is the front door to your business, it is often the first impression that your potential customer gets, therefore it needs to give them confidence in order for them to buy or to take the next step.

The look needs to be warm and friendly, navigation needs to be simple and in a logical order, content should be easy to read and contain a call to action on every page.

Think about this, the internet novice in a hurry manages to find your site, make sure your contact details are easy to find, at the top of the page, telephone, email and fax etc, or they may vote with their mouse and move on.

What’s in a name

Success is in the name; try to pick a name that really represents what you do, not just your company name. If you have a computer repair company in Essex, a good choice would be essexcomputerrepair.com, you can then include your company name in the graphics at the top of the page, already you are on the way to being search engine friendly.

Think again about this, if you saw a billboard as you went on the bus, would you remember the name by the time you got home.

Graphic Design

A good layout will make your visitors feel comfortable and at ease, keep it consistent throughout the site and keep images clear crisp and relevant. A good choice of image will tell a lot about you and quickly get the message across that the user is in the right place. Use stock images from a reputable supplier, this keeps you copyright legal and adds a professional look and feel. Poor quality and badly composed images can ruin all your good efforts.

Content is King

When writing content for your website keep it simple, get your message across in short concise paragraphs and avoid writing in technical industry jargon that only you understand. Include a map to your location, full contact details to give the confidence that you are a real business. Consider a Frequently asked Questions page (F & Q’s) to answer your customer’s burning questions and to save telephone time later. Update your content regularly with news and content to improve your search engine ranking.

Marketing

Building a website and not marketing it properly is like leaving your newly printed leaflets in a corner. Factors to consider are free directories, paid inclusion in directories, pay per click advertising, search engine optimisation, and traditional media such as local press, signage and vehicle graphics.

Why use a Professional

As a professional consultancy we look at your business from an altogether different point of view, there is much more to a great website than I can squeeze into this page. We can bring together all the elements to create a successful website and give you the best solution for your needs, whether it is a three page starter site, online shop or corporate portfolio. For more information, friendly help and advice contact us for a free, no obligation chat.