How to Establish an Effective Website

Build it and they will come! That’s what most small business owners think when they put up their first website. Having a website will not get you clients unless you are making it work for you. If you want a return on your investment, you must establish a more effective web presence.

Now a day, having a website is as essential as having a business card or a listing in the Yellow Pages. A website can give you exposure to millions of people surfing the net or searching for products and services to purchase. Your website is a vital component in your marketing strategy and it does not have to cost an arm and a leg for you to use as a marketing tool.

There are a few factors you should consider when establishing a website. First, you must consider your website visitors. Because the internet is 24/7, you may have people coming to your website after business hours. Therefore, they should be able to find the information they need without having to call your company. Or, your visitors should be able to request for additional information directly from your site. Website visitors are either looking for information or they are ready to purchase your products. High speed is becoming the top choice among internet users. If your website is heavy with graphics or flash, it may take a visitor more than 5 seconds to load. You may lose visitors because of slow down time.

Website content is the next factor to consider. Information overload is very common because of how easy it is to access information on the internet. Your website’s content should be simple and briefly describe what you have to offer. If your website is optimized for search engines, be sure to include your main key words in the content pages of the site. Keep your content as current as possible. Visitors like to have something new and interesting to read. This can be done by simply posting company news, articles of interest, or recent testimonials from your customers.

Site navigation is how easy or hard it is to move around your website. I’ve been to many websites and clicked through the pages and found myself frustrated and lost. A difficult to navigate site will cost you sales or customer inquiries. Some sites with lots of information may need several navigational areas. This is o.k. as long as it flows well.

Finally there is functionality. This means special functions or features that help the visitors obtain the information they need and keep them coming back to your site. Examples are things like search features, online forums, downloadable documents, online transactions, call to action buttons, and refer a friend. These are just a few things to keep in mind when you are working with a web designer on the creation of your site. To learn more about effective websites, contact Tarsha Polk at www.themarketinglady.com.