|
|
|
|
|
| Holidays | 2006 |
|
| Planning Your Company Website |
|
In October 2006 U.S. computer users spent nearly 33 hours surfing the web at home, and another 82 hours online at work, according to the Nielsen//NetRatings for average web usage. If you’re still under the misconception that the Internet is a passing fad, the overwhelming availability of qualified statistics is sure to have you think twice about the importance of the Internet now and in the future.
More importantly, most of those Internet hours are spent communicating, researching, reading news, and locating products and services. The big question is, do you have a website for them to find? And, if so, is it a website they’ll spend time perusing, or one they’ll close after seeing the home page? Whether you’re creating your first company website or having an existing one redesigned, your website is an important part of your company’s collateral and should be treated with the same attention and planning. It could be the first thing a potential customer sees.
What steps can you take to insure a new or redesigned website will carry the same distinction as your company? First, make sure your site correlates with any preexisting marketing materials. Your website is an extension of your brand. Include your logo, color schemes, distinguishing fonts, photos or other style details. Your website shouldn’t be looked at as a ‘have-to’ item that is simply thrown into cyberspace and forgotten. This is an opportunity to not only strengthen your brand, but grow it.
Next, determine your target audience and outline your site goals. Are you looking for a simple brochure site to introduce your company and motivate viewers to visit or contact you? Is your goal to sell services and merchandise online to an audience of web shoppers? Or, are you a government entity, non-profit agency or other company providing a portal of information and resources for the masses? Put it down on paper first. The content and organization of your site are vital to maintaining the visitor’s attention. People have little patience when visiting a site, so don’t make them click 10 layers deep to get the information they want. And once they’ve found it and are ready to move to another section of the site or contact you, don’t trap them in one area - make your home and contact links available on every page.
Fill your site with interesting content, making sure to keep it short and to the point. Most people quickly scan your site until they find the information they need. Creating long pages that visitors must scroll through tends to send them to the competitor. Keep the information bite-size and save the novels for tech specs and product features where the visitor elects to open lengthy details.
Remember to include testimonials to give your product or service credibility and merit. This is a small item that goes a long way to convincing your prospective client that you have a valuable product or service. It’s an important psychological feature for your visitors to provide them with a greater sense of security, much the same way we follow fads, gather at the most popular stores and restaurants, or listen to referrals from friends or family.
Once your website is live, you’re done, right? Unfortunately it’s not quite that easy. A website is a living entity in the sense that, unlike print materials or commercials, website content can change every minute of the day. In fact, most people expect it to. Making regular edits to your site tells your repeat visitors that there’s a living, breathing staff behind it that is constantly communicating company details to you. It makes them feel more comfortable sending you an email or filling out the contact form, or even purchasing a product or service online. When visiting a site that still has the “Last updated on July 17, 2005,” line, your first question is most likely, “Is this place still in business?” Don’t have time to spend updating your site regularly? Let XML and RSS feeds do the work for you. Selecting an appropriate feed to support your site content means that your site generates dynamic information automatically.
We’ve taken you through a step-by-step planning process for designing or redesigning your website by creating a correlating piece of dynamic collateral that strengthens your brand and serves as a 24-7-365 sales staff for your product, service or resource. For additional information on websites, be sure to read Website Do’s and Don’ts and Promoting Your Website.
|
|
|
|
|
About The Brookfield Group
The Brookfield Group has become a leader in IT, ISP, ASP and web solutions by providing next level technology solutions managed by experts who give you peace of mind without the tech-talk. The company's services are customized to fit any enterprise-size businesses and include: IT project management; hosting solutions and maintenance; systems security and patches; telecommunications services, server and desktop setup, repair and applications; network infrastructure design; audio visual products; surveillance and security solutions; as well as a variety of other software, hardware, services and accessories. Located in Carmel, Indiana, more information about The Brookfield Group products and services is available at www.thebrookfieldgroup.com or by calling 317.524.6000.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Get the latest technology news,
alerts and tools delivered directly
to your Inbox each month.
> Click here to learn more...
|
|
| Subscribe Today! |
|
| Enter email address |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
