1. Assemble a web site development plan that is integrated with your overall marketing processes; the content should be consistent with offline materials, the graphics/images don't have to be identical with traditional media, but should be consistent with your overall branding, style guide, usage of colors etc.
2. Hire a web site design firm that understands your market position and one that won't get "geek crazy" - meaning they are so in love with their own design capabilities, your site gets bogged down with graphics, plug ins, GIF garbage, etc. But, conversely, check your ego at the door when you work with your design firm - I've see so many good web site designs get ruined by clients who can't or won't listen to what we tell them!
3. Pay attention to "load times," how long it takes a web site to load on a 56 KBPS modem (this is an industry average), if its more than 12-18 seconds you may experience the "click of death" - the site doesn't load quickly and the surfer is gone. Of course, if your targeting broadband customers who are reaching your site via ISDN or DSL then you can build a site that incorporates multimedia-ready content that may include streaming audio or video, or Shockwave or Flash capabilities - go ahead and let those digital geeks get carried away with cutting edge content!
4. Dare I say it, "keep it simple" - make your site easy to move around in, build a menu structure that is consistent with industry standards, local menus (for a page or section) on the left and global menus (overall site navigation) at the top and/or bottom of each page, keep as much information "above the fold" (above the cutoff point at the bottom of a monitor), don't make people use horizontal scroll bars unless absolutely necessary.
5. Inculcate "digital speed" into your overall site design, your client/customers should be able to get to their desired area of your site within one or two mouse clicks; they will quickly get frustrated if they have to click-through multiple menus to find information they are seeking.
6. Develop content that is web-enabled, people don't read web site content like they do offline media, keep your paragraphs short no more than two to three sentences, build in white space with your content, include links in your pages - don't try to tell your whole marketing story on your site - get people to call you (hello the telephone still works!), e-mail or fill out a profile form (see below).
7. Make your site permission-based marketing ready - I love Seth Godin's "Permission Marketing" book, http://www.permission.com, and we recommend it to all of our clients - he champions building a long term relationship with a customer by asking their permission to continue to market to them and incorporating value/information in all marcom processes.
8. Ensure your site is optimized for Search Engines by identifying 8-12 keywords that people will use to find your site, then incorporate these keywords in your site content (to drive relevancy with s/engine spiders/bots) and then manually submit your site to the top ten search engines. We don't' recommend most of the free or $19.99 specials available; yes, all will get your registered with the s/engines, but getting listed on page 75 of 350 pages (for example) won't really drive qualified traffic to your site, you need page 1-3 listings on the top ten engines to really drive qualified traffic.
9. Delve into your log server files to uncover "digital tracks" made through your web site - your log files are raw files that show how and from where (in most cases) people accessed your web site, where they went on your web site, how long they stayed, etc. Web Trends is the defacto industry standard, http://www.permission.com, but we use and recommend a market-experienced firm in Europe, Fantomaster, Ltd. to our clients http://www.permission.com, - they have a suite of Search Engine products that can be downloaded for free or purchased.
10. Think global in your overall site design - the greatest Internet growth is occurring outside North America, so it is essential to build a site that can be accessed easily by people around the world. What issues do you need to look at? Load times are very important (again), develop content that avoids colloquialisms that may not be understood by others who may not speak the same language, you may want to make your site content available in diverse languages, there are a number of emerging applications that will facilitate this process, ensure your e-commerce capabilities can be utilized by all.
About The Author
Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.permission.com, a results-driven marketing services company providing proprietary services to clients encompassing startups to public companies. Lee@intelective.com
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carSo your web site's online and you've got high rankings... Read More
So you want to build a website here I will... Read More
Are you serious about get this website done fast and... Read More
Good websites stand out from the masses of boring, hard... Read More
The object of search engines is to give their visitors... Read More
Favorite icon appears to the left of your link in... Read More
You have good traffic, but low client sign ups and... Read More
You have probably viewed many Flash-based components while surfing the... Read More
Developing a software application is not easy at all; apart... Read More
Does your website make you any money? Does it SAVE... Read More
When it comes to marketing your website, you should really... Read More
The Basics You have a flourishing business ? everything is... Read More
Many people hire professional web site designers for as much... Read More
A professionally presented business website is a powerful and essential... Read More
If you have a business, big or small you may... Read More
1. DO NOT use excessive graphics or banner images on... Read More
You've made your website, added a great title and keywords... Read More
I have written before about long sales copy on the... Read More
To create your own great banner, you only need five... Read More
You may not believe it, but people still judge things... Read More
When considering whether or not to incorporate Flash into your... Read More
Have you heard of 'Babel Fish'?It's a service provided by... Read More
It seems that almost every Tom Dick and Harry do... Read More
If your are a new web designer, you may face... Read More
You're all ready to get started creating your web presence... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..If one more business owner tells me their website sucks... Read More
Any kid, and their grandmother too, can make a webpage.... Read More
Web design is a very competitive area and there is... Read More
I am constantly bombarded with all sorts of advertisements, single-page... Read More
I often wonder how serious people are when it comes... Read More
Since I made the switch 6 months ago to a... Read More
Remember your vision for your company and the brand or... Read More
As an online Entrepreneur you require a successful website.One that... Read More
Automating your online business is one of the most important... Read More
As of September, Smartads went through what so many have... Read More
In retailing there is a saying that sales are made... Read More
A highly effective website will always reflect its highly effective... Read More
Designing your own successful web page can seem difficult and... Read More
Now that you have decided that it is time to... Read More
Creating a web site takes thought, planning and execution. Unfortunately,... Read More
Internet Explorer, created by microsoft has been the most popular... Read More
Your business website tells a lot about your company. A... Read More
Have you ever thought about the real stories behind all... Read More
Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing... Read More
About two years ago, I had a go at commercial... Read More
You have identified that to have an internet prescence would... Read More
There is a widespread confusion among lots of new website... Read More
An application is not ready for use unless you have... Read More
My mother used to take me along when she visited... Read More
10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have ...__ all short... Read More
Web Design |