A successful website is something that everyone venturing into the new arena of Internet marketing and communications wants to have. Your website will often be a potential client's first impression of you and your business. That being said, it is vitally important that your website represent you in a favorable manner. Your website is a component of your overall marketing strategy and should be reflective of your business and current marketing presentation. Just as your brochures and other print materials represent a level of quality and professionalism, your website should also represent that same level of quality and professionalism. As a point of comparison, you most likely wouldn't have just anyone design your company's marketing materials or for that matter, prepare your tax statements. Similarly, it is important that the person creating your website know how to effectively communicate both your message and style, and be able to create an effective experience for those visiting your site.
What does it really take to have your website be successful, and what are some of the most important steps you can take to make that happen?
1. If you intend to have a unique domain name for your website, you must first check to see if it is available. You can check to see if a domain name is currently registered at http://www.internic.net.
2. Set a budget for your website. It is important to know how much you can spend on your project. In considering costs, remember that a website is a complex matrix of text and images and a professional execution is very important. As a generalization, the larger your investment, the greater your return. In order to spread your investment over time, you can also grow and expand your website gradually. Don't forget to include costs for promotion and advertising.
3. Determine the purpose for your website and the intended results. Does this purpose support the mission and vision for your company? The number of options and variables that are possible in the design of a website are virtually endless. Without a clear idea of the purpose for your website, you may end up putting time, energy, and money into a project which doesn't meet your needs. If you know in advance the results you intend to achieve, you will be better equipped to create a website which will achieve those results.
4. Consider the design and layout of your website. Is it easy to use? Does it take too long to download? Is it easy for Internet visitors to find information? Does it meet the needs and expectations of your visitors? Several smaller pages eliminating the need for scrolling are often more effective than one long page. If an Internet visitor doesn't have a positive experience of your website, she/he probably won't return, or won't tell someone else about it. An effective website often creates a reason for the visitor to return. This reason can take the form of unique information that changes on a regular basis, interesting and useful resources, or a way for visitors to communicate with you or with each other. Use your website to build a relationship with your Internet audience.
5. Promote, promote, promote.
No one will find your site if you don't let them know about it. Your site must be posted to search engines such as Lycos, Yahoo, and Excite. There are approximately 20 to 30 main search engines and several hundred that are smaller or specialized. You can find an extensive list of website submission sites, services, and resources at http://www.internic.net..
Include your website address on all your marketing materials; business cards, and advertising; you can even paint your address on the side of a company vehicle. The idea is to have as many people see your site address, and thus your website. You may also consider hiring a publicist to help you get the word out.
6. If at all possible, begin your website now. The companies which have been on the Internet the longest are those which achieve results sooner. If you are in an industry which isn't widely represented on the Internet yet, so much the better - you'll be able to start off with a larger market share. It's estimated that there are about 200 million people using the internet with 75% of them in North America. Start your Internet presence today!
About The Author
Steve Lillo author of Websites That Work! is the President of PlanetLink, a website design and consulting firm which specializes in creating websites which get results. They also provide their Web Rx Service for increasing the effectiveness of existing websites. PlanetLink can be reached at http://www.internic.net. or by telephone at 415-884-2022.
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..I want to give you a free web page template... Read More
As search engine marketers, we spend an enormous amount of... Read More
You're all ready to get started creating your web presence... Read More
Getting a customer is not easy.Getting a visitor to decide... Read More
Do you want to use unsafe web colors without offending... Read More
Nope. You certainly don't need a website.But you don't need... Read More
It starts off simply; a few HTML pages, a few... Read More
What Will My Site Do?This is the first of eight... Read More
They say the eyes are the window to the soul.... Read More
In retailing there is a saying that sales are made... Read More
What colors do you have at your website?Can they make... Read More
Flash is a powerful technology that can help you create... Read More
Imagine you're going on a blind date. You've heard wonderful... Read More
There are often many mistakes encountered when creating a webpage... Read More
When it comes to marketing your website, you should really... Read More
In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a... Read More
To explain my point I need to first confuse the... Read More
This is a two-part article about creating a web site... Read More
For many webmasters the title of my article may seem... Read More
The internet is filled with sites and they are good... Read More
A successful website is something that everyone venturing into the... Read More
Persons engaged in website design, here's a scoop for you!... Read More
Let's face it. Buying products and services from the Internet... Read More
There are lots of websites out there that do little... Read More
If there's one thing that most web site developers can... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..So you need a website. You are not sure if... Read More
Tips to brand your websiteInclude your logo in all pages.... Read More
The time it takes to load your site can make... Read More
Surfing the internet is basically an information-fest! From intellectual discussions... Read More
You have good traffic, but low client sign ups and... Read More
What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and... Read More
Effective navigation stands out. It's clear, obvious, and highly visible.You'll... Read More
When you design a website how do you start ?Do... Read More
You've designed your logo, and you're ready to print your... Read More
There's no doubt about it - the first page your... Read More
If you are familiar with my work, then you have... Read More
In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a... Read More
A few years ago a lot of websites utilized frame... Read More
Since I'm a web designer, I have a tendency to... Read More
Here are a few programs I can't do without. They're... Read More
The Internet has seen an explosion in so called 'lance'... Read More
Websites, there's literally billions of them out there in cyber-space.... Read More
Designing your website can be a difficult task especially if... Read More
ActiveX uses an interesting method for enforcing security ... it... Read More
You're all ready to get started creating your web presence... Read More
Part one of this article is available at ... Read More
Square buttons, round buttons, flashy buttons ? will they match... Read More
As a webmaster, you want to keep your visitors content... Read More
I want you to imagine a lemon. In your mind's... Read More
It seems that almost every Tom Dick and Harry do... Read More
Web Design |