In the online world, size isn't a disadvantage, what counts is how well you can be found and how you present yourself.
All Australian businesses, whatever size they are, need to seriously consider creating their own websites. The Internet is emerging as a primary way for consumers and businesses alike to seek information about products and services, and to conduct online transactions, including purchasing.
A one-man band can be bigger than a corporation on the Internet if you're smart about it. As at June 2006, there were more than a third of Australian homes with broadband connectivity and 9.1M people (ABS, 2005) accessing the Internet from their homes, with the vast majority using it either daily or at least weekly, providing the catalyst for growth in websites such as e-Bay.
If you are operating in the business to business market, 91% of your potential SME customers in Australia are currently using the Internet to search for information about products and services, with 60% of them placing orders online, according to the latest Sensis eBusiness Report.
While a website offers Australian SMEs unprecedented national and international customer reach, for a fraction of the cost of establishing offices and outlets and is open for business 24/7, the real benefit for SMEs is that it offers a level competitive playing field.
Many businesses upload pretty or flashy websites that sacrifice search engines, and find themselves needing expensive Google advertising campaigns to get a front page position. Search engines are the number one way for many potential customers to find potential suppliers, and an organic (or unpaid) listing is much more credible, so keep your website simple and search engine-friendly so you avoid impeding your ability to compete successfully online.
6 common mistakes businesses make with their websites
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Avoid large amounts of copy and opt for pictures and graphics instead
Search engines like information and text content, and lots of it. The more your copy content is updated and kept current, the more often a search engine will come back to index your website. Apart from that, graphics, flashy animation and images can slow down the website thus adversely impact the visitor experience.
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Write copy in their own terminology or industry ‘lingo'
Often people searching for businesses like yours don't use industry terms at all. Once you know how they search for you, you can start to write more relevant copy that will return a search engine match to potential customers. The key is to write your copy as though you are the person searching for someone like you and you know nothing about your industry.
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Use a dot-com domain and host it offshore because it is cheaper
Search engines look to match local results to local queries because they want to deliver the most relevant search results. If you have a dot-com domain name, most of the search engines assume you are American, and if you host it offshore as well, it is extremely difficult to rank highly in Australia. Stick to com.au and host your website in Australia for a better Australian search result.
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Ignore the 5 second rule
You have less than 5 seconds to tell a website visitor what you do. Make headlines very clear about the products or services you offer and include key benefits. If your site is looking to sell something online, ensure your navigation is less than 3 clicks to order.
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Assume it's the same as an offline channel, such as a physical outlet
People interact differently online and if you don't understand this principle, or worse, ignore it, it will be to your peril. Although your website needs to work with your offline channels (such as a sales force or shop), it needs to be built as a stand-alone complementary part of your business. Make sure you design it so that it works well in its online environment.
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Assume there's too many websites so there's no point having one
Punch a search phrase into Google and see how many results come back. The search results are scary - there are so many. But most of these results will be irrelevant - so don't let the numbers frighten you away. Optimise your website properly, and you might be on the front page faster than you expect.