Thursday, March 18, 2010

8 Critical Issues When Building a Web Site

One of the most important things you will want to do is decide on a web site
name. Your business websites’ name should be one that both catches the eye as well as relays what the web site is about. Deciding on a web site name can be tricky. However, if you are a business looking to create a serious business web site, you want to have a domain name that is relevant to your business and easy for people to remember.

When someone does a search on Google, they will view possibly 2-4 web sites before deciding on which one to frequent or put on their ‘favorites’ list. To make sure that one of these is yours, there are some simple steps you can follow to make sure your web site draws attention and keeps customers coming back.

Using a web designer is the best way to go. If you have one on staff great, if not, look for someone who has great references and shows you some of the sites they have done. Web designers’ costs can vary drastically from company to company, so shop around and hire someone who you can work well with. A good relationship with your web designer is critical, communication is the key. Hiring a web designer to build your website might be your businesses biggest investment. It needs to be a company that is available to you when you need their help with troubleshooting site issues.

Decide on a web site design and plan it carefully, this is an important investment, don’t launch until you are completely comfortable with everything on the site. Remember this as you build your web site by yourself or use a web design package or have a consultant do it with you and not for you. It’s very important if you have someone build your web site that they have a perfect understanding for what you want to do with your site. And it needs to be someone you feel comfortable working with. This is going to be a long term relationship.

The next consideration for your website should be what features you want on your web site. Why would others choose your website over your competitors? Be creative. Remember to always have a phone number on your web site and an email address that can respond to customers within 24 hours or less. You can even integrate your site with your small business phone system by having a dedicated 800 number on your web site routed to your business.


Try to follow industry standards. If your web site deals with internet and high speed bandwidth issues make sure you have everything from VoIP to DSL to Wireless and Cable Modems. Make sure your customer knows what impact this new technology will have on their existing business hardware. Some installs require interference with business phone systems for short periods of time.http://www.resourcenation.com/business/phone-systems

Make sure your web site is easy for customers to navigate. One way to make your business website both functional and easy to navigate is using POS software and a word search bar and site map as well. If people can’t find what they are looking for quickly, this hurts your traffic and loses potential customers. Make your web site easy to follow, and make your most important aspects jump out at the customer.
If your site deals with phone system sales then you want a customer looking for VoIP phone systems to be able to get to that part of the web site within two clicks.

After you have developed the fundamentals of the web site, have it evaluated by people you know to see if it is user friendly or any changes or modifications they think should be made. Remember, keep it simple. And always have a customer feedback section.

Evaluate the web site yourself and you and the web developer re-tool anything that needs to be post evaluation adjusted. The more people that view and help edit your web site before it launches the better.

Finally, remember to give enough information but don’t overload your web site with too many options or tools. If you have an 800 number linked to your web site, this is a great way to get customers to call and find out more about the products you are selling.

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