When you develop a sales brochure, you have a mental checklist of what
needs to be in it. You probably look at brochures from other vendors. You
get advice from friends and colleagues. You probably also notice the sales
flyers you get in the mail. What do you notice? What gets your attention?
A web site for your business has many of the same purposes as a sales
brochure. At the same time, it is more "delicate" and requires more
attention. It is technically more advanced and therefore more challenging
to design as well as to keep up to date.
Below are 10 things you should consider when developing a web site. These
will give you a good start. After reading them, you may be able to add
more.
1. Know your audience. You need to know who are the people most likely to
look at your site so that you can target that audience. Who are your
current and potential customers? What kinds of words or pictures do they
respond to? You are more likely to make sales to those who spend time at
your site, so you need to make the pitch to your most likely candidates.
2. Learn from the best. Spend some time on the web. Look at your
competitors' sites as well as unrelated sites. Discover which
presentations you like and what colors work well together. Take note of
how easy or hard it is to navigate through the sites. Save the addresses
you like so that you can return to them easily (this is called a
"bookmark"). The better your web site looks, the more time people will
spend with it and the better your chances of increased business or sales.
3. Plan ahead. Once you know your audience (who is most likely to be
interested in your product or service) take time to lay out the content of
each page and how different pages will link to each other. The more
planning you do up front, the easier it will be to get up and running, and
the fewer changes you will need to make down the road.
4. Graphics are worth 10,000 pixels. This is a play on the expression, "A
picture is worth 1,000 words." Text in different colors can highlight
important information. Animation, sound, and video may be important,
especially if they are business related. Be aware, however, that if
graphics take more than 8 seconds to load, a potential customer may get
impatient and move on. On the other hand, the effective and efficient use
of graphics can provide a lot of information that will catch people's
attention. Potential customers may not take the time to read text, but
they can judge quickly from a picture if the product or service will meet
their needs.
5. Be a good neighbor. If you want to quote a source, get permission. If
some of the ideas you present are not yours, give credit where credit is
due. Use disclaimers or disclosures when required or appropriate. This
enhances your reputation as a vendor.
6. Connect with the world. Provide links to other sites that sell
accessories, add-ons, or related products. This will make it easier for
them to do get all they need with minimal searching. Try to arrange for
reciprocal links. The more ways people can get to your site, the more
people will see it.
7. Test your site. Always check your text for errors in both spelling and
grammar. Remember that a spell checker will find incorrect spellings but
not incorrect usage (i.e., the difference between "its" and "it's"). Also,
what you see in one browser may not be what you get in another. You need
to make sure that all the fonts, centering, and alignment work. Test
uploading times and links with slow modems. While you can't examine every
possible computer hardware and software configuration that users might
have, the more scenarios your site works well on, the more people will
spend time with it.
8. Get outside opinions. Find out what people think about your site. Ask
for specifics like colors, fonts, graphics, time to load, and ease of
navigation. Receive both positive and negative feedback graciously. Thank
people for their suggestions. Remember that you will not be able to please
everyone, but the more people who like your site, the more they will
recommend it to others.
9. Let people know where you are. Register with search engines. Tell your
current and potential customers through phone calls or email. Include your
web address on your business cards, letterhead, print ads, and email
signature. The best web site in the world will not make money if people
don't know it's there.
10. Keep it fresh. Update the content on a timely basis. Use contests and
promotions. Conduct surveys and polls where people can vote. Make your web
site fun and interactive. Your site should be interesting and constantly
refreshed so people will keep coming back to see what's new.
Remember that your web site is an electronic ad for your business. Make
certain that it reflects your business well.
© Copyright 2004 by Alicia Smith
Alicia Smith is a Coach and Trainer whose specialty is helping people Make
Money Now. She has taught over 70,000 people how to improve their business
bottom lines. To learn more about her courses, products and services
please email her at alicia@aliciasmith.com or visit
http://www.AliciaSmith.com and http://www.90DayMarketingMarathon.com
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