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Understanding Websites
To successfully compete in the market today, every business needs a website. A
professionally designed website can create value for your website and high
return on your investment. 24-7 INtouch believes that everyone should understand
the true value of having a good website, before they spend any money or effort
in building it.
Goals of a Website
The first step in understanding websites is acknowledging that every good site
should have a clearly defined goal. Depending on your line of business, your
website can achieve many different goals. The specifics may vary from site to
site, but the primary goal of having an online presence is usually one or a
combination of the following:
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SALES |
– selling your product or service through your website. |
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LEAD GENERATION |
– driving traffic to your website to convert
leads into actual customers. |
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STORE FRONT |
– putting a ‘face’ to your business and brand. |
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BRAND AWARENESS |
– increasing the awareness of your company and
its product/service offering to your potential customers. |
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INFORMATION |
– sharing information with your customers and
potential customers. |
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UP SELLS |
– promoting new products or new information for your
customers to add on secondary services. |
Take some time to think of what you would like to achieve with your website.
Write down your goals so that you can clearly communicate them to your designer.
The Makings of a Good Website
Although opinions on good web design can be very subjective, there are important
elements that are consistent with a good site:
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CLEAN DESIGN
This is one of the most
important elements of a good website. Your site acts as the storefront
of your business and you need to make sure it is appealing to your
customers so that they come in a look around. Ensure you have: |
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Logical Framework |
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Pages that load quickly |
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Effective use of graphics to break up large areas of text |
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Text big enough to read |
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Sound programming |
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Home page that fits into a standard browser (640 x 460 pixels) |
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GOOD CONTENT
Now that you have people
browsing your site, ensure you give them a reason to stay. Good web copy
is extremely important in achieving your goals. Ensure you have: |
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Language specific to your target audience |
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Descriptive and informative text |
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Engaging messages |
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One idea per paragraph |
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Use bullets and headings to summarize points |
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Proper punctuation and grammar |
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USABILITY/NAVIGATION
While your visitors
are reading more about your company, you must make sure they can easily
navigate throughout your site, without getting lost and frustrated.
Ensure you have: |
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Clear headings and categories |
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A “Back to Home” button and “Top” links |
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Easy to use navigation buttons and bars |
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Consistent navigation across all web pages |
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Site Map (if you have many pages) |
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Clearly displayed Contact information or Toll Free Number |
To have a successful site you must consider all of these elements when planning
your design. Take some time to understand what you are looking for so that you
can clearly communicate your ideas to your designer.
Working with Your Designer
Once you have decided on your design company, you must work with a designer to
achieve your goals. Before you start, do some thinking on your own to be
prepared on what you are looking for.
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Try to answer the following: |
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What is the goal of my website? Increase sales, provide information,
prospect leads, etc.? |
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Who is my target audience? |
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What do I want to say on my site? What sections do I need? |
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What special features do I need? Do I need any special applications? |
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What is my budget? |
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When do I need the site up by? |
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What other sites do I like and what do I specifically like about them? |
Once you do some pre-planning you will want to communicate them with your
designer.
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When working with a web design architect, try to keep the following
tips in mind: |
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Have a clear message and goal, and try to clearly communicate what you
need. |
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Communicate what you want to say and then the look and feel of the site
will flow naturally. |
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Base your design ideas for your customers and not for yourself. |
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Try to communicate what you want expressed, not only what you like. For
example, if you want the site to be “fun and upbeat”, don’t say you like
hot pink and green. |
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Be open to new ideas. Remember they are the experts. Give your designer
your requirements, but also give them the freedom to create what they
think will fit with your business. |
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Call us now at 1.800.530.1121 to set up your free
consultation with one of our design experts. |
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