In this day and age, the importance of business cards and brochures are just as important as having a company website. Websites provide a simple and easily accessible source of information about your business”™s products and services. In fact, they are commonly the centerfold of many companies”™ marketing programs.
But image is certainly not everything when it comes to setting up and maintaining a successful Web site for your business. As consumers have become more comfortable with online shopping, their expectations about a website”™s informational value and functionality have increased as well. Small businesses that don”™t deliver higher levels of web sophistication risk being left behind.
A good starting point is avoiding errors that often doom websites to mediocrity. It”™s not a matter of making your site complicated. Today, the “less is more” axiom applies and often spells the difference between a website that delivers for your small business, and one that doesn”™t.
Don”™t neglect your site. If you want the Internet to help build your business, make your website a top priority in your daily operations. If your products, services, prices, location, hours, contact information and marketing messages change, make the updates immediately. Outdated information frustrates customers. Place your contact information in a prominent location. Many potential customers visit websites merely for basic contact details.
Flashing images, scrolling text and blinking buttons may have seemed clever and high-tech when first introduced, but now they are simply annoying. Dump them in favor of graphics that enhance your site”™s usability and professional image. Avoid the temptation of cute bells and whistles. Make a fast-loading site a top priority.
Don”™t assume that it”™s performing the way you want or expect it to. Usage and activity can help you make adjustments to meet your customers”™ needs and expectations. One good source to utilize would be webtrends.com. This particular site offers simple and inexpensive tools for tracking activity and identifying areas in need of improvement. If you are looking to “build” your own site for the very first time, take a look at www.flavors.me.
Ross Weale is an assistant director with SCORE. Reach him at rweale@optonline.net. SCORE is a nonprofit whose volunteers provide free counseling and training to small-business owners. Call 1-800-634-0245 or visit www.score.org.
