Your Website Reflects Your Business

Some left shoes are in isle 5, while the right shoes are in isle 3. Shoe hills are in random places. You can barely walk through the store without stumbling over a shoe.

No employees are in sight. As you are desperate for help, you finally make it past the heaping hill of shoes to the back of the store and find a button that says "Page for Help". You press the button and out comes a card that says "please leave your mailing address, we'll send you a letter". Frustrated, you leave the store, and finally realize there is a Footlocker across the street.

We all know how first impressions can make or break a potential customer's decision to buy. With more and more people discovering the internet, most businesses do not realize that their company website is the customer's first impression.

A Reflection of How You Do Business

Your website should be a reflection of your business. Would you allow your customers to walk through a maze to get your contact information? Do you want to answer your customer's questions or leave them guessing? Do you want them to find your product information? Your website will reflect these answers back to your customer.

What Web Design Isn't

Web Design is not:

? All the Bells and Whistles

? A Tease

? A Get Rich Quick Scheme

All The Bells and Whistles

Would you buy a luxury car that got you ten miles and then died? Then why would you want your website to be the best but unfunctional? Sometimes we forget that having the best of the best of something means to sacrifice something else.

For instance, have you ever seen a website made entirely in Macromedia Flash? ( click here for more info about flash ) There is nothing wrong with a nicely animated website, however, this will shut out potential customers who do not have, nor wish to install the flash player plug-in. This restricts certain users who have certain plugins installed on their computers, and you don't want to ever shut out potential customers. If you wish to do that, make sure you have a good purpose and make sure you clearly state on your website what those requirements are.

A Tease

It's better to have too much information than too little. Don't expect a potential customer to want to wade through pages to contact you for more information.

If you sell pink shoe laces and neglect to put that information on your website, your potential customer may end up going somewhere else to look for pink show laces. It's too easy to just 'go somewhere else', or 'do another search engine query'.

A Get Rich Quick Scheme

Why Nancy, only fools rush in.

A common misconception I have seen is that business owners believe their website will attract millions of visitors within the first week of creating their website. Without the funds, research and dedicated time, this is simply not true.

The instant you upload your website, it is lost in the millions and billions of virtual pages across the internet. You have to market your website just like you market your business; tell people.

You will not get the keyword you want from search engines, you will not receive millions of visitors, and you will not sell all your products within the first week.

However, if you take the time to do your research, study internet marketing, spread your website via word of mouth, and design careful search engine placement; you CAN get the keyword you want, you CAN receive millions of visitors and you CAN sell all your products.

What Web Design Is

Web Design is:

? A Sales Tool

? A Cost Efficient Expansion of Your Business

? A Community Service

A Sales Tool

You can think of your website as a brochure. We have an attractive image on the front that says "open me, you know you want to". Inside we have product information, company information, contact information, and reasons why the potential customer should choose you.

With happy thoughts, the potential customer now turns into the buying customer because your website reflected the everlasting impression of what your business is.

A Cost Efficient Expansion of Your Business

Imagine being able to keep your store open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Imagine being able to sell products and services in your sleep. Imagine being able to sell to anyone, anywhere, to whatever region you want. Sounds nice doesn't it?

This is what your website should be providing for you. Hiring a web designer, paying monthly web hosting space, and purchasing a yearly domain name costs a fraction of what it does if you were to open several locations around the world.

This tell the customer "We provide options for you.". Imagine how grateful someone in a wheelchair would be if they didn't have to have someone drive them to your business to shop around, or what if they were bedridden and couldn't leave their homes at all?

A Community Service

What better way to say "I love you" than to bring people together. This is another way you can use your website to reflect your business. A community focused business website brings your customers together who have similar interest and who feel warm and fuzzy inside for finding a group of people just like them.

For instance, ecademy.com is a perfect example of a community focused website. It's exciting to wake up, check your email and get a personal message from a fellow networker. You can start more focused interest clubs, you can write articles. You feel apart of something.

What A Web Developer Isn't

? A Miracle Worker

? A One Service Provider

? A Lazy Bum

A Miracle Worker

Beware of web designers who make promises they cannot keep. A web developer's failure to live up to his/her promises will more than likely hurt your website, which in return can hurt your business image. Let's take a search engine such as Google.com as an example. Google.com plays by their own rules that web developers cannot control, only abide by. A web developers promise to get you in #1 spot for the keyword "shoe" is almost impossible. There are some people who will result to measures that are against Google.com policy, to make you think you've reached that #1 spot. Keyword spamming, url spoofing, keyword hiding, to name a few. Resulting to these measures will make your site look unprofessional and get you banned from Google.com.

A One Service Provider

You shouldn't have to shop in ten different locations to create your website. This will lead to ten different levels of quality. For example, if you have to hire a graphic designer for the graphical layout, then a programmer for the shopping cart, and a writer for the content; if each professional isn't on the same thinking page about your company, it will be evident.

A Lazy Bum

A good Web Design Professional isn't willing to cut corners if it means sacrificing the quality of your online presence. This includes, but not limited to: search engine preparing, content management and research, information placement, programming and more. If your web developer slacks on any of these issues, your website will show it.

What A Web Developer Is

? A Solutions Provider

? A Consultant

? A Fast Learner

A Solutions Provider

You deserve a web developer in tune to your business needs and who understands how your website effects the image you are trying to create. The Developer should be able to provide many, if not all the resources available to complete your website from start to finish, or know the correct people who can.

A Consultant

You should feel confident asking your web developer questions and confident that you'll receive answers.

A Fast Learner

More than likely, your web developer will be alien to your industry of business. He/She should know how to research information related to your business and how to implement it into your website.

The Science of Information Placement

And last, but certainly not least is the science of information placement. This is simply knowing what information you want your customers to see and in what order.

For example, the first place a user focuses on the majority of the time when they first visit a website, is whatever is in the middle of the screen. This will be where you want to put your most important information, or sales niche. This isn't where you want to put your lengthy sales agreements and contract information.

Conclusion

The first impression you want to give your potential customer is that you are qualified to deliver what they need and how they need it, better than your competition. The more time they spend on your website trying to come up with those reasons, the more that potential customer is slipping away. We want to close that sale as soon as possible.

Your website reflects your business in the way it is ran, the products it provides, and how it treats its customers. Make sure that first impression is the correct one!

Tia Scott is CEO of Client Centers, LLC, an internet and graphic service business based in Florida since 2000. She also runs and maintains click here for more info about flash

Tia Scott
CEO
Client Centers, LLC
click here for more info about flash
click here for more info about flash

Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Internet browsers are useful, but they can be dangerous. Clicking on malicious links can direct you to dangerous websites that steal information or infect your device.
Apple's latest iOS update introduces advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, which may be capturing and analyzing sensitive information.
Breach site confirmed 56,904,909 Hot Topic users' data leaked online. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says the company's silence makes matters even worse.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how an innovative Easy-Way kit turns standard strollers electric, simplifying navigation for parents.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about T-Mobile being hacked in broad cyberattack on global phone and internet companies.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how to add, customize and manage widgets for quick access to apps and info from your iPhone home screen.
Wrong Google searches can not only compromise your device and personal data. They can also bring law enforcement to your doorstep. Hackers are targeting Google searches.
China's Shanghai Kepler Robotics has developed a new humanoid robot that can carry up to 35 pounds per hand for commercial applications across various industries
Checking your hearing has gotten easier with the new hearing test feature in AirPods Pro 2. You can take reliable hearing tests using your iPhone or iPad.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how a VPN — virtual private network — works and how running it can slow down the operation of your device.
The WalkON Suit F1, an exoskeleton developed to help people with disabilities, can actually walk over to a person in a wheelchair, solving a major problem.
ClickFix, a new scam targeting computer users, is on the rise in the U.S. The scam prompts its targets to click on a link to fix a problem.
Skydweller is the world's largest unmanned solar-powered aircraft that can stay airborne for weeks, and even months, without refueling.
The U.S. government said it is investigating after People's Republic of China hackers targeted commercial telecommunications service providers in the U.S.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated ways to lure unsuspecting victims, and some are impersonating an email help desk or support team.
You can unsend or edit your iMessages with the latest iOS updates. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how you can save yourself some potential embarrassment.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says there’s been a rise in cybercriminal services using hacked police and government emails to send subpoenas and data requests to U.S. companies.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Axiom Space and luxury designer Prada are collaborating on NASA's Artemis III spacesuit design.
Voice assistants may cause confusion across devices. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers some solutions to fix it.
Shameless scammers trick veterans into giving personal info or cash. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explores five common scams.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you honor our heroes with these powerful podcasts, audiobooks and documentaries this Veterans Day.

Art, Artists and the Web: Part 3--What to Put on an Artist?s Website

What to put your the website if you are an... Read More

The Secret Benefit Of Accessibility: Part 2 - A Higher Search Engine Ranking

An additional benefit of website accessibility is an improved performance... Read More

Why Local Service Companies Should Have a Website

The Internet is being used by local service business to... Read More

Business Website Building Do?s and Don?ts

First, using a lot of web graphics, flash, banners and... Read More

WYSIWYG Versus Coding: HTML With A Purpose

After years of working with entrepreneurs who developed their first... Read More

Make Your Own Brand!

There are millions and millions of websites on the Internet.... Read More

CPanel Fantastico - Features and Benefits

Fantastico is a 3rd-party cPanel add-on and can be purchased... Read More

Whats Your Business Online Attitude?

This article was prompted by some customer support work I... Read More

Website Survival Guide

In the big, wide online world there are millions of... Read More

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) & Web Accessibility

There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced... Read More

7 Questions to Understand Your Customer Better

Customer service questionnaires can help your clients better understand their... Read More

7 Tips to Make Your Order Page Work Harder

So your prospect, Mary, is sitting at the computer reading... Read More

Linking Out is Good

Many websites I come across don't have a single link... Read More

What and How to choose the Right Keywords for Mega Traffic

Keywords in Search Engine Optimizing and Search Engine Marketing are... Read More

Are Web Graphics Stealing Your Money?

They might not be wearing a mask and carrying a... Read More

3 Reasons Why You Need URL Rewriting Module To Enchance Your Web

URL rewriting are major needs for your sites that produce... Read More

Developing A Website: 10 Tips For Getting Started

1. Be clear on your purpose.Building a website can be... Read More

A Network Of Web Sites Is Not Enough!

The big thing these days is your ability to capture... Read More

7 Golden Rules For Building Mini Sites

First, an eye opener. Making your fortune through affiliate programs... Read More

Is Your Website Doomed for Failure Before Youve Built It?

One of the things that many people overlook when building... Read More

Creating Websites that Cater to Exam Preparations

One of the things that Internet excels is disseminating information... Read More

Direct Sales and Your Corporate Website - A Creative Marketing Plan that Works!

Creatively marketing your corporate site takes time in the set... Read More

Easy Steps To Website Development and Promotion

One of the most important parts of establishing a new... Read More

How to Promote Your Law Firm Website On the Internet for Maximum Profit

Making maximum profit from your law firm website is important,... Read More

Study Your Sites Performance Via Hit Tracking

Knowledge is power.And undoubtedly, it is the key to making... Read More

Antigo wedding limo ..