No matter how good a web design is, your website will fail unless you heed this advice. The key to a good website is providing great information that visitors are looking for, in ways they want to see/hear it, and having an honest and friendly tone that builds a relationship. Sounds simple doesn’t it?
In traditional branding terms, in the long run a brand is just a name. In the short term, the brand needs a unique idea or concept. It needs to “own” a word in the mind, ideally first in it’s class (think Amazon, eBay etc.). After time that uniqueness disappears.(Esso verses Petro Canada, Seven 11 verses Mac’s Milk etc.). Branding does take time. With the Internet’s constant birth of the new, I’m in full agreement with putting your company in the title tag if the purpose is building branding. Repetition as well as seeing that company’s name together with the other title tags pairs the two in a persons mind. Many times you’ll see a company name/logo with a positioning tag line underneath it, which sort of acts the same way a title tag would. Or on radio, linking the company name with a sound. Duracell, “the copper top battery” uses both.(Did you hear the ringing in your minds ear?). Internet marketing involves building web standard compliant websites, optimizing for search engines while also incorporating relevant marketing laws.
Although we are extremely happy from the many calls we receive from frantic business owners whose web designer has gone out of business, disappeared or plain ignored them, I starting to become disturbed. Bad experiences with web designers give the web design business a bad name. People don’t know who to trust. Please business people of the world listen up. Use a professional web design company that does web design day in, day out. There are too many variables and changes in the website/search engine world to use what I call “a dabbler”. It’s your business and a website is a vital part of it. A bad website can actually cost you money. Would you use a part time real estate agent to sell your business? If you run a professional business yourself, what do you think of those that “dabble” in your industry? Use a professional. Not only will it save you money in the long run, with a proper website design coupled with an Internet marketing strategy, you’ll actually make money.
Each week there seems to be a recurring “theme”. This week’s web design in Durham Region “theme” seems to centre on the difference in an IT type company/division creating a website, verses a marketing type company/division building a website. The battle centres on who should construct it. The short answer is, it’s not about who does the web design. It’s about what the purpose of the web design is. Is it more operational than marketing or more marketing than operational? Is it for existing customers or prospects? What does the target market want to see in the website. Design can be clinical or attractive. What does the target market want to see? Once you answer the questions you will get a better indication of what you require. Like hiring an employee, it’s all about the right fit.
More people are moving to hand held PDA devices. When your website is designed ensure you can see it on a PDA. It’s an important point to consider for your website designer. In Toronto recently we tried to find a well known restaurant nearby. The company had a “flash website” that couldn’t be seen on my PDA! (Flash sites are big pictures). Remember, whether your a web designer in Toronto or anywhere for that matter, it’s all about building for the audience. Pretty sites are useless if your client’s potential clients can’t see it!
If being found on search engines is important to your business it’s time to start looking at getting a blog. It seems some of the search engines are weighting blogs higher on the relevancy scale. When getting a blog, make sure your web designer builds it right into your website design. Website Design in Port Perry just added another service!
Statistics Canada reported that in 2006 78% of private and 99% of public organizations used electronic email. 2 years ago I made the statement that a website was now as important as a business card. Today I believe a website is even more important than a business card. A couple things happened. In the last few years people have accelerated their use of the Internet for researching products and services. Recently I attended a market research presented by Google. The data presented reflected what I was seeing in the marketplace. Something triggers a person’s mind. They go to the Internet to research. If they are satisfied they will engage further. What happens if you don’t have a website or one that is not working properly? Think about how your personal habits are beginning to change. When looking for a person/business do you search through a pile of business cards or pull out the yellow pages? Or are you finding yourself increasingly trying a quick search on an Internet directory? If you did use a business card, would you call or check out the website first? We are beginning to realize that more information is available on a website. If a company has a business card, but no website in an expanding and more global market, how will they be found? Even ads are shrinking as companies can reduce the information and include their website address on it. Having a well organized and working website is no longer a passing fad. It’s a necessity.
Throwing up a website without coming at it from a business context is like buying a ticket in a mass lottery and hoping you’ll be the one in 30 million that hits it big. Wanting to get found on Google is no different than wanting to get found in your local “offline” marketplace. Start with your target market. See their face so it focuses your efforts. The days of “everyone is my target market” are over. Now, what are they looking for? Where do they look for it? What words do they look for/appeal to? Once that’s done, create a coordinated marketing campaign for them. Create or adjust your website. Measure, and then adjust again. Remember, no one buys a book for the cover; they buy it for the content. It’s same with your website. Make sure your content resonates to your target market. Maybe then you’ll increase your chances of cashing in on the big win.
In sports, good referees aren’t noticed. You notice bad ones. They take away from the game. The same is true for website navigation.You don’t notice it until it’s bad. Ever get lost in a website? In the last few years, website visitor’s brains have been trained to look for navigation in the same place, on the left and/or across the top. They now need, really need a home button. Don’t make visitors think for the sake of “creativity”. If you do, they’ll simply leave quickly.
Visitors skim read websites. Limit your words and write like an inverted pyramid, with the most important information on top. The general rule for content writing for a website is to use 50% of the content that you would if it was in print.