- Keeping your website looking professional (and usable)
While you can spend as much as you like on making your website look fantastic, many of us simply don't have the budget to keep throwing money at it. However, the following fundamentals will keep it looking good without added expense - particularly if you can manage the content yourself.
- Include as many economical images as possible
As they say, a picture tells a thousand words. Particularly on the internet, where people are in "doing" mode rather than "reading" mode. So you should try to use as many professional images (graphics or photography) as possible.
However, there are some very important tricks of the trade. First, keep images as small as possible so as they don't take forever to download. Generally, images shouldn't exceed 30kb, however, those who rely heavily on high quality images may need to exceed this "rule of thumb". Depending on what you want to achieve, a good average size for images is about 200 pixels in width. (see right) |  |
If you are selling physical products, its important that you have the ability to view a larger version of the product. A good, large image can help your customer decide on purchasing immediately. The alternative, losing them in a contact delay or clicking onto a competitor website is not worth the risk!
A useful tip when adding images to your website is to give the image file a name (often called an "alt tag") which contains a search keyword or phrase that describes your business to help optimise your site for search engines. However, be sure that it is still relevant to the image or search engines will dismiss it as "keyword spam". For example, the above image could be called "counselling client" which assists when people are searching the term "counselling".
- Include News Pages
News Pages are an excellent means of providing new information to your customers, keeping your website content fresh, while attracting the attention of search engines as they find keywords in your stories. Many business operators and managers don't feel they have anything "newsworthy" to offer, but often it's a matter of creativity and brainstorming. Ideas for what's "newsworthy" include:
- new product information
- specials
- new staff
- new offices
- product developments
- staff achievements
- awards and recognition
In "information rich" categories such as services and technology, these stories should (where possible) be brought to the front page of your site.
- Keep copy short and sharp
As per the above, users are in "doing" rather than "reading" mode, so they want the "bullet point" style copy up front, with an option to read more below or on another page.
- Keep menu items to a minimum
There's nothing worse than having to read and scroll through a huge menu. If you have a lot of content, try to categorise into major headings, before creating sub-menus underneath them.
- Keep animation to a minimum
Animation is a great way of providing movement and colour to your website. However, it is often overdone, resulting in a poor user experience as they contend with slow loading pages and poor navigation. Unless there is a very good reason for it, animation should be kept to small images and graphics.
An example of good use of animation can be seen at the Leprosy Mission website here.
- Include address and phone number on every page
While a fast (or broadband) connection can make your website really purr, many users still have slow 56kps (or lower) connections which make downloading pages a chore. Make it convenient to contact you by including your phone number at least on the top or side of every page. Remember, many users logon to your website purely to get your phone number, so make it easy for them.
- Invite participation in a newsletter
Newsletters or occasional emails to your customers or prospects are an affordable and effective way of keeping in touch with your customers and prospects. By providing valuable information via email, they will be prepared to "opt-in" to your list. This can be offered prominently throughout your website by saying "Register for your FREE newsletter". Remember, because emails are essentially free of cost to deliver, you can promote your business for next to nothing - surely one of the best deals in advertising history!
- Keeping your website legal
If business operators aren't careful, there can be some downsides to operating a website, with a range of laws governing what you can and can't put online. Here's a few general pointers but if you feel you require further information, you may need to seek your own legal advice.
- Use of copyright material
While it's easy to copy images and other material from websites, it doesn't mean that that material is available for you to publish on your website. Before doing so, contact the website operator to gain permission. Sometimes they may charge you for such a privilege.
Similarly, you may want to protect your own content from unauthorised copying. To assist this, simply add a copyright symbol, your organisation name and year of publication as per "©The E Team 2006", either at the point of the copyright material or at the foot of the page.
- Collecting email addresses and other information
Collecting customer information is governed by Privacy Laws, summaries of which can be found by clicking here.
Shopping cart provider Ezimerchant offer a "standard form" privacy statement here.
- Returns policy
If you sell physical goods online, you will need a returns policy. Again, Ezimerchant provide one here.
- The Spam Act
While the newly introduced Spam Act relates more to emails than to websites, it is worth noting the ramifications of the act for your business. Find out more by clicking here.
Leading lawyers Minter Ellison offer a free technology law update, found by clicking here.
- Increasing traffic to your website
While chances are that your website will prove a boon to your business, it's definitely not a case of "build it and they will come". Traffic must be driven to your website and this brief guide will provide you with the basics of how to do just that.
- Add your domain name everywhere your business name is written/heard
When it comes to providing a "call to action", websites operate just like a phone number - customers will use it to find out more information. Unlike most phone numbers however, they can be easier to remember - particularly if they are succinct (as short as possible to reduce the chances of a typo) and easy to spell. Remember that if people don't type your domain name into the address window of the browser directly, they will be forced to use a search engine, where they may come across a competitor!
This checklist should help you to add your domain name to your communications materials.
| Business Cards | | Brochures/Collateral | |
| Letterhead | | Letter templates | |
| Email Signatures | | Signage | |
| Phone Messages | | Media Advertising | |
| Yellow Pages Ad | | White Pages | |
TIP 1: If you're not due to get your business stationery and promotional collateral printed, simply arrange a rubber stamp with your domain name on it and stamp remaining materials.
TIP 2: Your new website is newsworthy! Send your customers an email alerting them to the fact that it is now online.
- Optimise for Search Engines
Search Engines such as www.google.com.au help internet users find content on the topic of their choice, including the products and services that you provide.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the term given to altering your website to best ensure that search engines (and their "spiders and robots") pick up your website for your preferred search terms.
For example, a printer repairer that services the East of Melbourne should be found whenever a user enters the search term "printer repairs Melbourne" (or indeed any Eastern suburb) into a search engine (such as www.google.com.au ).
The best way to do this without expense is as follows:
- Brainstorm all the possible search terms that your new customers might possibly use when looking for a supplier online.
- List all the locations you service.
- Wherever possible (while still making your website readable and professional) include both the search terms and locations as often as possible throughout both the website text (or "copy") and title tags (the blue bit at the top of webpages). If you can't do this yourself, let me know.
- Create as many links to your website as possible. Brainstorm the organisations (friends, local businesses etc) who will link to your website and then arrange the establishment of such. You might like to do the same for them (sometimes called a "reciprocal links program").
- A fortnight after implementing these, go to (eg) www.google.com.au and search for the terms in the locations you service to see how successfully the "robots and spiders" picked up your amendments.
- Re-check, monitor and adjust on a regular basis.
TIP 1:Remember that search engines don't like:
- Text included in "flash" animation
- Websites that have "frames" (parts of the site that scroll independently of each other)
- The words "under construction"
TIP 2: As search engine users become more familiar with using search engines, they become adept at including specific search terms to find what they're seeking.
To this end, the notion of adding a location to their search means that they find a supplier in the exact area they need. To capture these searchers, add a page called "Locations" to your website (even if it's a "sub-page") and list all the suburbs/towns you service. Search engines will then pick up your website when searchers do a local search.
- Consider Yellow Pages Online
If your business category is one that traditionally is the mainstay of the Yellow Pages book directories, there's a very strong chance that users will turn to Yellow Pages Online to find suppliers - particularly if you sell to other businesses.
- Consider "Pay Per Click" Advertising
One of the great, effective online innovations is that of "pay per click" advertising, where you can advertise your products and services on major websites (such as Google) but only pay once a user clicks on your ad. Ads can be linked to search terms used to describe your business to achieve outstanding targeting of your market. As this is a relatively new area, it's possible to "own" certain search terms. What's more, you can cap your monthly expenditure, with ads ceasing to rotate once your cap has been reached.
- Include intra-website advertising
A great way of bringing different aspects of your business to the attention of website visitors is by including intra-website advertising. Usually these are in the form of graphical ads which can be clicked on for further information, or can be text based. Yet another "free" way of bringing your products and services to the attention of your website visitors (particularly when they may be visiting for another reason).
- Utilise your email signature effectively
Your email signature is an effective way of driving traffic to your website, or an individual page within your website. For example, you may have a "monthly special" that you could include on your email signature, with a link to a specific page within your website.
- Taking your website to the next level
While your website should prove to be effective for you, at some point you will want to add further features or content to further enhance your business and online opportunities. Some of these might include:
- Customised look
- Animation
- Content Management (easily make your own changes to the website)
- Shopping Cart
- Secure E-Commerce
- Secure members area (aka "extranet")
- Online booking systems
The good news is that much of this technology is not as expensive as it sounds!
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy some of the amazing benefits a website can offer your organisation.