Set your website a goal

"The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. This concept not only applies to life, but also to your business and your website. To ensure that you website benefits your business and its visitors, clearly define the goal of your website from the beginning....

Focus on the primary function and build your website around delivering that to your visitors. Clearly defined goals will help keep priorities in perspective as you manage the process of building your presence.

You will need to balance your business goals, the needs of your audience and your available resources to create an effective website. You'll want to keep in mind your longer term goals, so that you design your site with room to grow easily.
Example website goals include:
Online sales
Generate new leads
Information delivery

Remember give people what they want. It seems obvious, but sometimes we forget and give people what we want instead of what they want".

Extract taken from Succeed (magazine)June/July 2007 - Set your site a goal by Nathan Jones, p. 40.

For more examples of website goals download 123 Small Business Web Design's FREE copy of The Web Site Planner to help you build a website.

Paying to be popular is a waste of time

"Some business owners are obsessed with the numbers. They're desperate to be popular.... I just can't see the logic in spending time chasing a large quantity of people that will never buy from you. Why do it?....

I get it. We're all looking for ways to spread the word about our business to stand out and be noticed and increase our bottom line. Why brag to your friends about how many people are following you on Twitter? Haven't you got better things to do? You don't need large quantities of hits - because the majority of them simply won't convert to new business leads......

You don't need tens of thousands of followers on Twitter - you need solid relationships to benefit your business. You don't need to be number in search for 'xxx" keyword you need to focus on appearing for specific search phrases that reflect the intent of the searcher to purchase. You don’t need loads of website visitors - you need visitors looking for what you're selling. You don't need heaps of Face book fans you need passionate dedicated loyal fans to spread the word for you.....

Concentrate your energy into actions that build your credibility and your reputation giving you more visitors more likely to convert into new business...”

Sipnets from Paying to be popular is a waste of time, by Clare Lancaster - Opinion Short Cuts - NETT (Magazine) January 2010.

Response by Katie Larking Director of 123 Small Business Web Design
http://www.small-business-web-design.net.au

Interesting comments from Clare Lancaster. If you are interested in generating specific keywords that reflect the intent of the searcher to purchase then it’s important to have the knowhow or employ someone with the right skills. As far as Facebook and Twitter are concerned they only really work when they are properly managed and the input is from a genuine author, with a real email address. Building solid business relationships really works when you can build repour with your customers and collaborate together on their needs and issues. If you would like more information or help on how to work on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for your web site or build creditability and reputation for your business send me an email..... info@small-business-web-design.net.au

What works on web users - possibly a bit out dated but probably worth posting

According to the Global Midset Online Survey conducted by APT Strategies in August 2001, one quarter of respondents indicated that they most notice, read and respond to promotional offers and competitions online. Asked: Which of the following forms of internet advertising do you most notice, read and respond to the findings were:

Total participants asked: 4752
Form of internet advertising:
Ads about brands you know 7%
Ads about new products from companies you know and are interested in 13.2%
Ads about promotional offers and competitions 25.5%
Ads for products or services, where a discount is offered 6.2%
Visually stimulating and eye-catching ads 12.4%
Ads that are different sized and shapes to usual ads 1.1%
Text links to to other web sites 2.7%
Ads that are directly relevant to your purpose for being on the internet 19.5%
Other 3.5%
Dont know 8.9%

Does my business need a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) website

"CRM systems do interface with your website, and you manage your website's responses to individual queries or actions using CRM intelligence software. But my advice to you is to worry about CRM after you have got your website up and running, unless you are building a large B2C website with plenty of cash and a well defined business model.

Here are some ways to understand your customer without buying CRM software:

-Well-designed websites will cater for the needs of your target audiences.

-Websites can deliver a degree of personalisation without CRM software.

-You can collect plenty of information about your customers' online behaviours and see how users move around the website by looking at the website traffic reports. Identify separate content elements that are of interest to the same group of users.

-Analyse the results of surveys you publish. The surveys can be used to gather personal preferences, or to identify trends amongst a particular audience or interest group (for example, everyone who reads a particular article or document).

-If your online store is set up well, that is, it caters for the needs of your business, you should know who your customers are, what their preferences are, and how you can entice them to purchase more in the future. Add your own questions to the form they complete when they purchase your products. Get their email address as part of the transaction standard protocol and email them a follow up survey after the sale has been completed.

Most CRM systems are separate from the fabric of the website. Very few website projects need to be held up to wait for the CRM system and functionality to be finalised. If you are not convinced, have a word with your CRM vendor (if CRM is on the table there is probably a vendor in the pie somewhere)."

Extract taken from "The CHOICE Guide to Web Writing that Works by Robyn Lowe and Anne Reilly. Australian Consumers’ Association. 2004. p. 60."

*** 123 Small Business Web Design has created two free downloads to assist you to develop an understanding of your business needs and how they relate to your website. Having this awareness will assist you in considering things that are important when building (or redeveloping) your website). You can download these free valuable documents from our homepage, just fill in your details and tick the items you want and we will automatically email them to you.


For assistance in designing your small business web site go to: http://www.small-business-web-design.net.au

Choosing a Web Design Company..

"Track record
They should have completed some company web site before yours. Don’t be the guinea pig. Have a look at the style of what they have done and if the work looks sharp and up to par with what you see online, it’s an excellent start.

Personal style
Like it or not many designers have personal style and set of preferences that tend to creep into most the work they do. If a designer likes a particular genre of design, that genre is bound to echo throughout their work. Check their work and find the trends. If you like the stuff they are producing, great. If you really don’t like something about their work, don’t use them.

Process
Time to think like a business person. Deal with the web designer who understands business. For starters they should provide you with a written proposal. The proposal should list the project in some detail, and give you cost for the work involved. It is OK for them to give you an estimate or cost range, especially if the brief is yet to be finalised and there are some issues that need to be resolve (as is usually the case).
The proposal should give you an indication of the time required to do the job, the payment terms, and any assumptions that have been made in the proposal that will affect the project and the price. If the proposal is a half-page document without an explanation of what is on offer warning bells should be ringing (unless you are very flexible indeed).
The company should give you the definite impression that they have an understanding about what the job is all about.

Technical expertise
Unless you are planning to publish a very flat piece of static brochure ware, it pays to see example of the work the company has done that require a bit of technological knowhow. I prefer companies that are equipped to do both the design and technical development of the website. That way the chances that the two areas will work together are improved, and hence the project is likely to progress more smoothly. The sort of things to look for include:
Database feeds appearing on the websites
The use of content management tools
Basis utilities such as email engines secure areas forms for completion by visitors appearing on the websites
Shopping cart and transaction capability

Do you like them?
If they are not your cup of tea, fine a provider that is. You are going to give them a major responsibility; also you may well need to spend quite of bit of time with them. Trust your instincts. All things consider hire someone you trust and get along with."

Extract taken from 'Website Planner A practical guide to planning your web presence by Ben Mitchell. Pearson Education Australia Pty Limited 2002. p 116'

For assistance in designing your small business web site go to: http://www.small-business-web-design.net.au

Choosing a Web Designer - Things to consider

"Choosing a designer
Choose your designer carefully. Look at sample of work they have done for other clients, and get some idea of how much they charge before you take the trouble to meet with them and brief them. Don't waste your time and theirs if what they normally charge is out of reach for you.
After you meet and hand over your brief, allow your designer time to absorb its contents and to get back to you with some design proposals. They should proceed with the job only once you have approved the proposals they present to you. It is not unusual to need several passes (depending on the complexity of the site) at the design proposals before the project begins in earnest. Once everyone is happy about the way the design will proceed, settle on a mutually agreeable timeframe and cost structure."

Extract taken from "The CHOICE Guide to Web Writing that Works by Robyn Lowe and Anne Reilly. Australian Consumers’ Association. 2004. p. 30."

For assistance in designing your small business web site go to: http://www.small-business-web-design.net.au

Planning your website - Website Planner

Questions to ask before designing your web site:

Who are you prospects?

Who are your customers?

What is so special/unique about your business/products and or services?

What do you want your customers/clients to know about your business?

What would help your existing clients to do business with you?

What would help your potential clients to do business with you?

How do you want the world to perceive your business?

Where does your business profit come from?

Which clients or prospects do you focus on?

What do you want to do with your web site? Clear thinking and focus is required moving from general ideas to specifics.

What do you want to include on your website? Specially what action do you want your potential customers to take when browsing your website?

"Website Planner - A practical guide to planning your web presence by Ben Mitchell"

For assistance in designing your small business web site go to: http://www.small-business-web-design.net.au