A successful website is something that everyone venturing into the new arena of Internet marketing and communications wants to have. Your website will often be a potential client's first impression of you and your business. That being said, it is vitally important that your website represent you in a favorable manner. Your website is a component of your overall marketing strategy and should be reflective of your business and current marketing presentation. Just as your brochures and other print materials represent a level of quality and professionalism, your website should also represent that same level of quality and professionalism. As a point of comparison, you most likely wouldn't have just anyone design your company's marketing materials or for that matter, prepare your tax statements. Similarly, it is important that the person creating your website know how to effectively communicate both your message and style, and be able to create an effective experience for those visiting your site.
What does it really take to have your website be successful, and what are some of the most important steps you can take to make that happen?
1. If you intend to have a unique domain name for your website, you must first check to see if it is available. You can check to see if a domain name is currently registered at http://www.internic.net.
2. Set a budget for your website. It is important to know how much you can spend on your project. In considering costs, remember that a website is a complex matrix of text and images and a professional execution is very important. As a generalization, the larger your investment, the greater your return. In order to spread your investment over time, you can also grow and expand your website gradually. Don't forget to include costs for promotion and advertising.
3. Determine the purpose for your website and the intended results. Does this purpose support the mission and vision for your company? The number of options and variables that are possible in the design of a website are virtually endless. Without a clear idea of the purpose for your website, you may end up putting time, energy, and money into a project which doesn't meet your needs. If you know in advance the results you intend to achieve, you will be better equipped to create a website which will achieve those results.
4. Consider the design and layout of your website. Is it easy to use? Does it take too long to download? Is it easy for Internet visitors to find information? Does it meet the needs and expectations of your visitors? Several smaller pages eliminating the need for scrolling are often more effective than one long page. If an Internet visitor doesn't have a positive experience of your website, she/he probably won't return, or won't tell someone else about it. An effective website often creates a reason for the visitor to return. This reason can take the form of unique information that changes on a regular basis, interesting and useful resources, or a way for visitors to communicate with you or with each other. Use your website to build a relationship with your Internet audience.
5. Promote, promote, promote.
No one will find your site if you don't let them know about it. Your site must be posted to search engines such as Lycos, Yahoo, and Excite. There are approximately 20 to 30 main search engines and several hundred that are smaller or specialized. You can find an extensive list of website submission sites, services, and resources at http://www.internic.net..
Include your website address on all your marketing materials; business cards, and advertising; you can even paint your address on the side of a company vehicle. The idea is to have as many people see your site address, and thus your website. You may also consider hiring a publicist to help you get the word out.
6. If at all possible, begin your website now. The companies which have been on the Internet the longest are those which achieve results sooner. If you are in an industry which isn't widely represented on the Internet yet, so much the better - you'll be able to start off with a larger market share. It's estimated that there are about 200 million people using the internet with 75% of them in North America. Start your Internet presence today!
About The Author
Steve Lillo author of Websites That Work! is the President of PlanetLink, a website design and consulting firm which specializes in creating websites which get results. They also provide their Web Rx Service for increasing the effectiveness of existing websites. PlanetLink can be reached at http://www.internic.net. or by telephone at 415-884-2022.
tidy up service Northbrook ..Hello, how is your website doing?Are sales flowing in?If you... Read More
It has been said that the best online sales copy... Read More
Seeing is believing.One trick to increase your visibility as well... Read More
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets has opened up tremendous possibilities... Read More
Are you looking to create the perfect website? A complete... Read More
Many times I've seen a web site undergo a revision... Read More
The internet continues to grow and has become the default... Read More
With so many new websites going up, it is hard... Read More
One product, one long web page: this kind of web... Read More
When it comes to marketing your website, you should really... Read More
"It's good.""You've done a nice job.""I don't like it."At some... Read More
Do your web pages, sales letters or personal presentations include... Read More
When you start building your online business and search for... Read More
If you're running a website or online business, your number... Read More
Audio can provide an added dimension to your site. It... Read More
I always have people asking me if I know of... Read More
Since I'm a web designer, I have a tendency to... Read More
The internet is filled with sites and they are good... Read More
Studies done by Jakob Nielson the man touted as the,... Read More
About two years ago, I had a go at commercial... Read More
Web site design has certainly, in the past decade, evolved... Read More
An attractive and user-friendly Web site is crucial to attracting... Read More
Surfing the internet is basically an information-fest! From intellectual discussions... Read More
An application is not ready for use unless you have... Read More
What pages need to be included on your website? The... Read More
reliable home cleaners Buffalo Grove ..I am constantly bombarded with all sorts of advertisements, single-page... Read More
Are you in a dilemma whether to create a mini... Read More
Does your website make you any money? Does it SAVE... Read More
The Internet has seen an explosion in so called 'lance'... Read More
Most websites use similar fonts and as a result have... Read More
I once created a notepad-like editor. It is possible with... Read More
Getting a customer is not easy.Getting a visitor to decide... Read More
There are literally thousands of different options, styles and formats... Read More
I have written before about long sales copy on the... Read More
To build a website, there are four methods to choose... Read More
Part one of this article is available at ... Read More
STEP 1:Do your homeworkPlan and think about your content. Think... Read More
It is a well-known fact that a successful business depends... Read More
Building your first website can be very frustrating. It looks... Read More
Most web designers and web design companies will try to... Read More
QUESTION: We promote our web site in all our... Read More
Novice and professional designers alike ? you may probably be... Read More
A professionally presented business website is a powerful and essential... Read More
Color is everywhere and conveys a message even if we... Read More
You just created a new web site but want to... Read More
No matter what product or service you're promoting, unless you... Read More
Home PageHome page should clearly indicate what the site is... Read More
Over the course of the last decade, the Internet has... Read More
There are more than billions of Web Sites, running Online... Read More
This may comes as a surprise to you but, if... Read More
Web Design |