8
Key Points for a Successful Website
by
Denise Davies,
ALEPH Inc. www.alephinc.com
The Internet provides a broad range of tools that improve business communications. Your website is available day and night, and is a cost effective method of providing your customers, clients and business associates with up to date information about your products and services, how to find your business, and to make inquiries at their convenience.
For even the smallest business your website can be a branding and communications tool. Whether you are a one person shop or a billion dollar enterprise with national and international markets, here are 8 key points that will help you to get the most out of your investment in your website.
- Think of your users and target audiences – who are they, what do they need and why are they at your website? Build your website content around the needs of your audience.
- Make the website easy to use with well-organized information, a consistent navigation system, and for larger sites a site map or key word search.
- Make your contact information readily available. Your website should make it easy for people to contact you directly from the website by phone or filling out a form.
- Keep your content updated so that it accurately reflects your business. This means reviewing it on a regular basis and putting someone in charge of updating the content.
- Fresh content keeps people coming back. Offer tips or a monthly newsletter, and enable people to sign up so they are reminded of your business on a regular basis.
- Use the website to develop qualified leads of interested buyers / potential clients. Offer some useful information or a coupon that has a form where they fill out their name and email address to receive this. Only people really interested in your service will be filling these out – and this gives you the lead to follow up on.
- Bring targeted traffic to your website using search engines
- Keep in contact with your customers and prospects by email, and include links for them to visit your website for something specific.
Consider your website an essential component to your business success. A good website will provide information to your customers and clients, broaden your market reach and build your prospect list, improve the workflow in your business, and be an essential part of your business marketing.
The next article in this series will be on generating revenue from your website.
Denise Davies is co-founder of Aleph Inc., an Internet development company. She directs an international team of talented analysts, designers and programmers to build Internet solutions for startups to established corporations. Denise speaks to groups including NAWBO, SBA, SCORE, and the Volunteer Center of Orange County on Internet Strategies for success. For more information contact Denise at 714-277-4498.
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