Business & Work

Get your Website Working Harder

By Gerry Granshaw - Obi Media

In a few short years the web has become a one-stop shop for many of us. Remember the days when we had to get out of our chairs to look for a phone number? Not any more. With the advent of Yell.com and Google Maps we can look up phone numbers and directions. We can see friends' wedding photos, listen to radio stations around the world, check today's currency exchange and find just about anything else we ever wanted to know.

Having so much choice is great, but is the web working for you? If you run a business the chances are you have a website (or are thinking about it). How can you be sure it is performing well for you now and into the future?

Start by answering these questions:

Does your website fit its purpose?
Is it giving the best impression to visitors?
Does it contain up-to-date, relevant information about your business?
Could it handle regular tasks that would free up your time or your team's time?
If someone is searching for the type of products or services you offer, will they find you?
What type of website do you need?
Does your website fit its purpose?

Why have you got a website (or want one)? This is the fundamental question - for example you may want to offer information clearly, or project your organisation's stature and expertise, or showcase products and services that customers can buy.

Are the benefits clearly in front of your prospective customers and visitors first and foremost? Make it easy for your visitors to find their way intuitively and quickly around your site to get to where you want them to be. Give your customers calls to action. Let them know what they need to do and when.

Is your website giving the best impression to visitors?

In our image sensitive society we live with sophisticated visual input and styling that affects us without us being consciously aware. If you choose a web designer who does not understand this, then you are handicapped before you begin. For example, the choice of a font will give a subliminal message to your audience. The choice of colour will work for you or against you. I am being serious. This is important.

Does your website contain up-to-date, relevant information about your business?

Not only will your visitors have plenty of reasons to keep visiting your website, but the search engines may take more notice if you regularly update your site.

Could your website handle regular tasks that would free up your time or your team's time?

How many phone calls, emails, letters and postage could you save in a year by letting your website carry downloadable brochures, flyers, price lists, data sheets, technical information, images, directions, FAQs? It is a great service to customers when they can get what they need quickly and at any time of the day.

Video clips, podcasts and webinars can inform how to use your products and can promote features more readily than the written word. These can be as sophisticated or casual as suits your organisation and budget.

If someone is searching for the type of products or services you offer, will they find you?
The chances are they will if your website contains those vital words that someone might use on a search engine. But there's more you can do - get blogging, create podcasts, webinars, e-shots, write news releases for online as well as offline media. Get involved in forums relating to your area of expertise, offer advice and let people know who you are and where you are from.

What type of website do you need?

There are 3 main types of websites:

Brochure Websites

This is the most popular type. Generally the objective is to have a web presence and make product or service information easily available. It can also be a way to save on print and postage costs, and reduce support enquiries.

Content Management System Websites (CMS)

CMS enables various forms of content to be easily managed, organised and published on your site. It allows for interactivity and control over who sees what and when. It means that you can add, edit and delete data from pages, create new pages, modify functions. And clever programmers can configure complex functionality so that you and your visitors enjoy a positive web experience.

E-commerce Websites

Online shops where you can buy one or many items or services. This can be as simple as a buy button for one item, linking to say a PayPal account; or a more complex site where users can purchase multiple items and then check out. E-commerce websites can also involve the use of CMS.

Whatever choices you make, your investment of time and focus will serve you well and help to develop a worthy asset for your business.

Gerry Granshaw

More Information

Obi Media is a web design and development agency based in Totnes, near Dartington, Devon. They have clients across the UK and USA. They specialise in designing, developing and managing websites forclients. Obi Media are also web publishers and are also specialise in graphic design, printing and other marketing services.

www.obimedia.co.uk