Website Service
| Website Design & Promotion Blog - Website Promotion |
Do you know what important elements to look for when selecting a website service for you business?
Avoid the Common Pitfalls When Choosing a Website Service
Your web presence has the power to attract a greater number of customers to look at your service but it is undoubtedly a two edged sword that also has the ability to damage your business if you have a poorly setup website.
We all know how important it is to have a website if you run a business these days. The home computer revolution of the past 10 years has seen most homes use the internet to source their services locally. Many people assume as long as you have comprehensive content on your site then yo have the makings of a quality website.Your web presence can make or break your business image...
It has the ability to either enhance value to your service and business image but it also has the ability to adversely affect your business if it is badly setup. Don't fall into the trap of trying to save money by doing this yourself or getting a "friend of a friend" that has learned websites or a "computer wiz" to build it. I see too many business loosing potential sales and their image, to save a small amount on a good website service.
In the large scheme of things your website is not a major cost - most sites can begin small at around $1,000.00 for a professional, original, clean well built site. I see many businesses that tried to cut this cost often coming to get their site re-done by professional months later anyway. This is usually when they start to realise their site is not working for them because their customer base is not increasing.
Any good website service will be able to review your site for you. We often have businesses request this because they have noticed their not getting the traffic and sales they originally forecast. These sites have great content, images and articles related to their services however, there are factors that you need to plan ahead to ensure success.
The Four Factors That Require Planning
- Information customers regularly ask needs to be available. Common problem seen is the information customers are looking for is not there.
- Simple, Clean, Organized Design. Distracting images on the site move the customer to other sites (by clicking ad links for example).
- Is information organized logically? Customers may find it hard or frustrating to navigate the site.
- The site has not been optimized for search engine visibility so customers are not seeing your business but your competitors are visible.
These four factors for web site success are very easy to address with a well versed website service however, there are a lot of freelancers around that may have learned how to design and build a website but the whole area of how to market it and hold a presence with customers is missed...
Obviously a major foresight!! Never forget your website represents your company on the Internet accessible by anyone internationally as well as locally. People come to your site to see what you have on offer and therefore the way it is presented does have a major emphasis on the customer's first impression of you.
Checklist To Evaluate Your Web Design Service
So what needs to be checked before buying a website? There are many website designers out there and I know in where I live, melbourne website design is expanding at a rapid rate. So the question really is what service is right for you? Have a good look around at what is being offered. Have a checklist with you when approaching these services and ask the following questions.
Checklist To Go Website Shopping:
- Is the website created from a template and "out of the box" or is it tailored exactly to fit my business look, feel and requirements.
- What pages and how many am I getting in this package
- What is the price for add-ons services
- Do I need to (or want to) update my own website content or will/can you do this for me and for how much
- Can I add/upgrade my site at any time to purchase additional features such as a shopping cart facility?
- Will the site be keyword optimised for my business niche
- Can you provide Search Engine Optimisation so customers will find me on search engines like google and amazon?
- What support is provided if I have a problem? For shopping carts especially ask if 24 hour support is avail for shop facility
- Ask to see other sites that the designer has created for customers - what do you notice about these - are they pleasing to the eye, easy to read and find information?
I Already Have A Site - How Do I Ensure My Website Is Working?
A web design service should be able to offer you analytic reports to review how your site is being used by the public. If they can't - then move on to one that can because this is really important to get an idea of if your site is working for you.
A good website service will offer to review your site and offer feedback for no cost. Take up this offer if you are suspicious that your site is not effective. I wish you the best of luck with your online business presence.
Do Your Diligence By Researching Website Services Thoroughly
For More Website Design Tips:
Go To: http://www.webdesigncure.com
