INTERNET INFORMATION AND ADVICE

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WEB SITES

Don't make the mistake of having a web site just for the sake of it - make it worthwhile...

1. ACCESSIBILITY - Can Your Web Site be Found?

Use the Best Possible Domain Name and Email Address
Start by using the best possible domain name for your web site, one that is short, easy to remember and easy to spell. Please see our choosing and registering a domain name article for more information.

Also use your domain name for your email (eg hayley@kudosweb.com) rather than the email address your ISP provides you with (eg hayley@xtra.co.nz), this is simply more professional and promotes your domain name rather than your ISPs.

Is Your Web Site Search Engine Friendly
Search engine optimisation is important, you should aim to be in the top ten results for specific phrases relevant to your business. It's a competitive and ever-changing area of the Internet but not something to put in the too hard basket.

Are You Marketing Your Web Site in Your Traditional Advertising?
They may seem obvious but here are a few tips for marketing your web site in all your traditional advertising so people are aware of your site and know how to find it:

• Make sure your web address is printed on all of your stationery: business cards, letterheads, envelopes, invoices, compliments slips
• Plus all of your advertising: brochures; yellow pages, newspaper, magazine and tv advertisements
• Any other marketing material: signage, pens, calendars, clothing...
• Include your web address on your answer phone or voice-mail message - customers may be able to find the information they are phoning about on your web site
• If you have a shop or sell products, display your web address on labels, carry bags and packaging
• Turn your vehicle into an advertisement for your business and put tasteful magnets on the doors, or a sticker that displays your web address on the back windscreen or bumper!

2. FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Professional Design
Once your visitors have found your web site, it is important that it reflects professionalism and credibility.

Presentation is important and a professionally designed site will give visitors confidence in you, anything less will reflect badly on your image and leave doubt in customers minds whether they should trust your product or service. A web site that looks amateurish may do more harm than good - you want your visitors to have a positive impression of your business, not a negative one.

Quick and Easy to Use
Chances are people are visiting your web site to find information not for entertainment, they want to find what they are looking for quickly and don't want to have to download programs to enable them to view your site - they'll just go elsewhere. Each page within your site should include a user-friendly navigation menu and follow a consistent format.

3. CONTENT IS KING

Provide Up-to-Date Information and Make it Easy to Find
Take a step back and put yourself in your customers shoes, think about the content of your web site from their perspective. What information do they want? How can you make their visit to your web site worth their while?

Your site should provide the up-to-date information your visitors are looking for and it should be easy to find. Listen to feedback from your customers and revise your site's content according to what they want.

Include your contact details, an email address at the very least, but preferably a phone number and address - particularly if you are selling products online as many visitors won't purchase from you if you don't provide complete contact details.

If your site sells products it should utilise a secure server and you should clearly display your terms, conditions, guarantee (if you have one), delivery information if relevant, currency details and a link to a currency converter. Don't make it a mystery for your visitor or they won't feel comfortable buying from you.

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) or Help page is often helpful and can save you time answering the same enquiries time and time again.

Benefit From Your Web Site
Your web site should be an investment for your business, it should increase your sales and/or reduce your costs.

Use your web site and email as a business tool, take advantage of it and don't let it go stale.

More Information
For more information or if you would like to talk to us about a successful web site for your business, please contact us.