What dollar amount does your web site contribute to this $316 billion dollar trend?
Have you spent thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands on your web site only to discover that it attracts more flies than customers?
Do you hate your web site, your web developer or your entire IT department?
Do not despair! You are not alone!
A great web site is crucial in order to effectively communicate to a business's target audience. It is important for Chief Executives and small business owners to pay close attention to the effect that their web site has on their business. A poorly designed site will not generate desired revenues and could even produce negative results if it sends the wrong message to potential customers.
In a 2003 survey of major corporations from Ford to Wal-Mart, 20 corporation sites failed to meet Forrester's standards for usefulness, clarity or content. Because a visually unappealing or difficult to navigate site will discourage return visits, many companies have decided to update their site. After it's re-launch in 2003, Macromedia Inc. saw it sales per site visitor jump 67%!
We have divided companies into three categories based on their level satisfaction with their web site.
1. Happy?But ? They are happy with what they have but want to keep up with industry trends and continually update their site as their company grows.
A study conducted by the Wall Street Journal found that larger companies have a "wild card" provision set into their yearly web budget. Every year their budget includes routine upgrades, maintenance, new projects and "wild card" money set aside for the latest and greatest application or gadget that may come down the pike.
2. Transitional - They have outgrown their site and want to upgrade and expand their web presence.
3. I Hate My Web Site - You need help! Did Uncle Bob develop the site? Maybe your neighbor gave it a try. Or maybe you spent good money on a professional firm but are still not happy with the results.
Try the quiz below. You may want to consider making improvements to your site if you answer "no" to several of the following questions.
Is Your Site:
1) Easy to navigate?
2) Detailed and comprehensive?
3) Visually appealing, professional and pleasing?
4) Up to date?
Does Your Site:
5) Have a unique style or original graphics?
6) Have a consistent theme and convey the central message?
7) Load web pages quickly?
8) List company contact information in an easy to find place?
9) Use correct spelling and grammar?
10) Have a site map?
11) Make it easy to get back to the homepage?
12) Have a way to email the company for more information?
13) Pull up images correctly (i.e. contains no broken images)?
14) Pull up all pages and websites correctly (i.e. contains no broken links)?
15) Have an appropriate text to image ratio?
16) Have streaming audio and video?
17) Print pages without losing any of the text or cutting off part of the page?
18) Translate into other languages?
Do you:
19) Have control over the content and have the ability to make changes?
20) Have an e-newsletter marketing system?
21) Have e-commerce capabilities?
22) If you have e-commerce, can customers easily purchase your products or do they get frustrated and leave the site before completing the transaction?
John, President of clickcom.com, is available for personalized seminars and can be reached at clickcom.com or 704-365-9970 x 110. Special thanks to Mike Drummond of The Charlotte Observer for article information and facts.
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..Writing for your web site is not the same as... Read More
A search for "web design" on Google returns more than... Read More
I see a lot of mistakes, but here are the... Read More
Never put form over function. Why? Because it's crucial that... Read More
I'm sure you've all heard the saying 'Build it and... Read More
Making your site accessible means making it available to be... Read More
Don't make a splash!Are you thinking about using a splash... Read More
If you've a website but not making a lot of... Read More
The internet is filled with sites and they are good... Read More
With so many different configurations internet users have their computers... Read More
Imagine you're going on a blind date. You've heard wonderful... Read More
I get the occasional web design lead from my website.... Read More
There are many companies who build websites, all of which... Read More
The Questions You Should Be Asking ? The Answers You... Read More
Home PageHome page should clearly indicate what the site is... Read More
First off, I am a designer. Now you're thinking, here's... Read More
Many people today are tired of the Microsoft software that... Read More
Well, you've got your product, started your home business, and... Read More
See, works every time. Seriously now, for some reason people... Read More
Here is a quick list of components that make a... Read More
The effective design is this one, which is maximum simplified,... Read More
Geometric designs come in all shapes and sizes? and lines.... Read More
A professionally presented business website is a powerful and essential... Read More
When you design a website how do you start ?Do... Read More
Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..How many of the visitors to your web site take... Read More
A website should firstly be searched out by visitors before... Read More
QUESTION: We promote our web site in all our... Read More
Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a... Read More
Clutter: Too much noise, too much text, and too little... Read More
Probably you know someone who has created a web site... Read More
1. Lack of overall strategy and clear definition of success:Most... Read More
We will take a look at why your visitors may... Read More
Yes, in a world that is obsessed with makeover madness,... Read More
Many Internet sites that try to sell you something have... Read More
It seems more and more webmasters are using CSS for... Read More
We all want high impact graphics for our Web sites... Read More
Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many... Read More
Have you ever walked pass a shop that, for some... Read More
We can't emphasize enough the importance of including keyword-rich content... Read More
"Oh, my eyes, my eyes! What an eye sore. Quick,... Read More
Let me repeat that.."The technology may change, but human nature... Read More
To create your own great banner, you only need five... Read More
Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and... Read More
Wether you design your business brochures, flyers, web page, or... Read More
Nope. You certainly don't need a website.But you don't need... Read More
1. Use .gifs rather than .jpgs. GIFs are smaller in... Read More
Why your site should be developed with CSS and semantic... Read More
So you need a website. You are not sure if... Read More
(Making Your Graphics Work For You)It's no secret that a... Read More
Web Design |