CMS Web Solutions

I was having a great discussion with a fellow Website Designer in Ajax recently. We both agreed that most businesses are still not capitalizing on the strength of the Internet to capture new business. Most still see their website designer as a sort of “brochure” developer rather than as a strategic marketing partner to help them go after new business. It’s gratifying to watch our video testimonial from 3 of our Whitby clients talk about how we’ve helped their business grow. What’s everybody else waiting for?

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!

According to usability expert Jacob Nielson “on the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely.”
So, visitors just aren’t reading your content like you think they are. Remeber to write the most important information at the top…think inverted pyramid. Also, studies are showing that hyperlinks win in the “most frequently clicked” column (buttons #2, back button #3). Think of hyperlinks as eye “bumpers”. Set them up strategically to flow visitors where you want them. Set up Goal conversions in Google to measure. There is a reason our industry calls it “web design”.

Many business owners I meet with are still not using their websites to measure the effectiveness of their off line advertising. It’s simple to do and will save/make you hundreds, even thousands of dollars. How? First, design a page on your website specifically for tracking purposes. In your offline advertising design an ad that directs people to that specific page, say to an online coupon. You can then measure if people are actually visiting that page. Move your marketing dollars over to those ads that are actually working. You’ll not only stop wasting money, your extra focused marketing dollars will increase your revenue even more.

What goes delete, delete, delete, delete? If you said “you” first thing in the morning, it may be time to get a more robust SPAM filter. We recommend getting one that screens and stops SPAM before it comes into your computer taking up valuable band width and hard drive space. The SPAM filter we discovered and liked so much that we now offer the service to clients, fights the ongoing SPAM battle for us. For $3 per month or .10 per day it’s a no brainer. How much time do you spend deleting?

Google AdWords (paid ads) now allows you to target specific geographic markets as well as test a few ad variations. Use the tools to refine what works/doesn’t work. Then, based on the results, update and fine tune your website for better organic (non paid) results.

It’s been found that Tuesday is better than Monday or Wednesday and 9:00am is better than 12:00 or 4:00. Seems people come to work, check their email and visit websites before launching into their day.

The other day I was teaching a class of new businesses about websites and marketing and out slipped the words “people vote for your businesses with their dollars”. For days after that statement, I pondered that statement. How true that is, especially for a B2B service business. A potential customer must, like your business, believe you will do what you said you will do, believe you will look after their best interests, and be assured you will be around when they need you. How do you “get votes” for your service business? Well, you need to develop a great reputation. You need to go out into the community and network, shaking lots of hands and meet other businesses. You need to have a letter writing campaign asking for their “vote” and highlighting why they should use you. The more happy people that use your business, the more that will campaign on your behalf. Who needs to be a politician when you own your own business!

Recently I was fortunate to attend a Google seminar in Toronto. Although the focus was on the automotive sector and how research conducted outlined consumers behavior in the purchasing of vehicles, there were some identified trends that applied to all. One of the most important one is the increase in online video and how important it is to include in your online strategy. And it makes sense. More people have high-speed more people are comfortable with it because of You Tube, it’s easier and sometimes even fun. For me the most important point to remember is the computer is a one to one communication device. It’s a big visual screen in front of your target audience’s face. People skim words, but watch videos. The human mind processes visuals faster than words. So why not include videos to show your commercial, demo your product, show how to fix your product, answer frequently asked question.