“How do I get my website to come up on top of the search engines?” – That is one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked by clients.
The truth is, it’s not easy. With millions of websites on the internet right now and thousands being added each month, everyone is striving to do the same – to come up in the first spot (or on the first page).
In reality there are only 2 ways you can come up on top:
1. Set up a pay per click advertising campaign, such as Google Adwords
2. Optimise your website for keywords (also know as Search Engine Optimisation)
Keywords
Before you embark on either of these marketing methods, you need to understand about keywords.
Keywords or key phrases are the words that visitors type into a search engine to find a service or product. The best keywords are those that are commonly typed in by your potential customers, but which aren’t used much on your competitor’s websites.
In other words, if you optimize your pages for keywords your potential customers use a lot, but your competitors haven't thought of, you win.
But here's the catch...you'll never get to know which are the best keywords for your website simply by guessing.
There are many tools you can use to find what keywords people are using. One is called Overture and it is a free service. It shows you how many times people have searched for a particular term during a one month period.
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
This does not, however show you how many competing websites there are for that particular keyword.
If you are serious about finding the perfect keywords, I would recommend using a tool called Wordtracker – www.wordtracker.com. Although you do need to pay a few dollars for this service, it is far more sophisticated and gives you much more information than Overture.
Through a series of simple steps, Wordtracker identifies the best keywords to use on each page of your website.
Wordtracker's suggestions are based on over 300 million keywords and phrases that people have used over the previous 90 days. (In other words, there is no "guessing" when you use Wordtracker. Everything is based on the keywords millions of people have actually typed into search engines.)
Best of all, their competitive analysis tool enables you to find those "best keywords" - the ones your potential customers use, but which your competitors don't know about.
Once you have identified the best keywords, you can either run a pay per click marketing campaign or optimize your website for search engines.
Pay per Click
Pay per click advertising is when an advertiser (you) pays for each qualified click that sends a search engine user to your web page. PPC requires you to bid on keywords or phrases that relate to your business. The best known pay per click services are Google AdWords and Overture.
Generally you can bid from as little as a few cents per visitor. However, the more you bid the higher up in the search engine your advertisement will appear. Pay per click is a great way to deliver targeted and qualified visitors to your website at a very reasonable price.
It is a good idea to experiment with different PPC search engines to find the one that works best for you. In addition, you will need to spend time testing your keywords and ads.
There are hundreds of pay per click search engines. For more information check out:
Google Adwords - https://adwords.google.com
Yahoo - http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/
Pay per click search engines - http://www.payperclicksearchengines.com/
Search Engine Optimisation
Search engines prefer to list sites that contain good content. In order to rank high you need to create a website that has maximum content and which uses lots of relevant keywords to your service and products. Remember to find out what keywords your customers may be searching on go to:
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/ OR
http://www.wordtracker.com
Once you decide on the keywords, use them in
(a) Your website’s domain name
(b) The title of your page - This is displayed in the top bar of your browser window
(c) The heading of your home page
(d) The first paragraph of your home page
(e) Meta tags - Keywords, page title, description
(f) Titles of your graphics
(g) Alternative (Alt) tags - These appear in place of images when the browser preferences are set for text only.
Whilst it is important to use keywords as much as possible, it is also important you use them only if they are relevant and do not sound awkward. If you spam your keywords you may be penalised or even banned by some search engines.
Another important thing to consider when trying to optimize your website for search engines is to have as many relevant links pointing back to your website from other complementary sites. This can be done through link exchanges or by writing articles/posts and submitting them to article directories or forums. Ensure you include your domain name at the end of each article/post.
If this all seems too overwhelming, you can employ the services of a Search engine optimization company, who will make your website’s content more search engine friendly. In fact, I highly recommend if you decide that Search Engine Marketing is one of the main ways you wish to promote your website, you do hire an expert. One company I can recommend is Melbourne IT – www.melbourneit.com.au.
Please remember, having your website listed at the top of the search engines is not the only way to promote your website. There are lots of other ways you can get visitors to your site for little or no money. You may wish to read my article: “30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget”
http://www.web4business.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm
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Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and growing business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. You can download a free website plan by visiting http://www.web4business.com.au or contacting ivana@web4business.com.au
How do I get my small business on the internet? How do I promote my website on a shoestring budget? Who can help me with my home based business? If you are asking yourself these questions, then read on ... you will find plenty of useful marketing tips for your small or home-based business.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Watch Your Language! Please ...
Last week I received an email, which read: "Yo bra, wassup? can you hook me up with da vinyls dat I heard up in da club, they’re da bomb" ...
This message had nothing to do with underwear (bra), plastic tupperware (vinyls) or even a threat to national security (bomb), but it was a request for records.
Whilst this slang MAY be understood by customers and staff in a record store, to the average person, it sounds like foreign language. And herein lies a lesson that needs to be learnt. When designing your website or any promotional material, make sure you use language that all your customers understand.
If you are a web designer, forget about impressing your customers by using big words such as URL, Search Engines, Domain Name, HTML, etc. To you it may be everyday language but to your potential customers they are jargon. Some may even be intimidated by it and rather than trying to work out what you mean, they will leave your website.
"But if I am a web designer, how do I write my copy without using these words?" The answer is simple. Use the words, but explain what they mean. You can either provide a simple explanation or include a Dictionary/Encyclopaedia link on your site, such as:
http://www.webopedia.com
http://whatis.techtarget.com/
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/computer
http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/index.html
To find out whether the information contained on your website can easily be understood, show it to your grandmother or the owner of a small business, such as your local fruit shop, deli or laundromat. If you see a blank look on their faces, you may need to rework some of the copy. And don’t think just because you are working for mid size businesses or large corporations that the staff understand what you are talking about. Many executives will run a mile at the mention of the latest technology. So for their sakes and yours, keep it simple.
Whilst, the majority of newspapers and magazines write information so that it is understood by 10 year olds, giving your web copy to a young nephew for revision will not work. He will most likely understand the terms and may even teach you a thing or two, but he is not your potential customer (not yet).
Below is a list of words/phrases that you may use in everyday language, but which may baffle some of your customers. As an extra service for your customers, you may find it worthwhile to include these on your website:
Applet: A small but useful application often serving just a single purpose.
Compression: Technology for minimising the space a file occupies, to make it easier to store and faster to transmit.
Client: Describes the receiving computer, which calls information from a server or information storage computer. A client is anything that receives information - a desktop, notebook, handheld or even a mobile phone.
Cookie: An applet sent by a website to your computer to gather data about you, such as your log-on details and where you surfed immediately prior to coming to that site.
Cracker: Someone who taps into other people’s computers in order to steal information or do damage.
Cyberspace: Another word for the world of the internet.
Domain name: A domain name locates an entity on the net and has three parts:
(a) the www (the location of the host server),
(b) the organization identity and a suffix, which indicates the purpose of the entity, such as ".com" for a company or commercial enterprise, ".gov" for a government body, ".edu" for an education institution or ".org" for a non-profit body.
(c) other extensions identify the country in which the domain is located, such as ".au" or ".nz". Simple .com extensions signify that the domain was registered in the US.
Download: Bring information from the net to your computer
HTML (HyperText Markup Language): The code used to create web pages. HTML tells the user’s browser what the page should look like and how to present the content.
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): used by a browser to seek web pages from a server.
Hyperlinks: Underlined links found in web pages that will transport you to a related page simply by clicking on them.
MP3: File format that will compress, store and play music
Metatag: Keywords which describe the content of a website, designed as hooks for a search engine to bring people to that website.
Netizen: A citizen of the net.
Off-line: Not connected to the internet.
On-line: Connected to the internet.
POP (Point of Presence): The ISP (Internet Service Provider) connection dial-in point.
POP-based Mail: Mail that is stored on the ISP’s server until you download it. You can keep a copy on your hard drive and view e-mails even when you’re not connected.
Search Engine: Software tool for helping you find useful, relevant information on-line.
Server: Computer that stores information and forwards it on request to the “client”.
Shareware: Software issued on try-before-you-buy basis.
TCP/IP: The protocol or set of instructions used to ferry traffic across the internet.
Upload: Send information from your computer to the internet.
USB (Universal Serial Bus): a new connection technology for adding peripherals, such as a printer to your computer.
URL (Universal Resource Locator): a website’s address.
Keep in mind, this rule does not only apply to web designers, but every other business. So if you are designing a website for a client and are confused by the terminology, you may want to bring it to their attention and help them rework the copy so ALL their customers understand it.
--------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
This message had nothing to do with underwear (bra), plastic tupperware (vinyls) or even a threat to national security (bomb), but it was a request for records.
Whilst this slang MAY be understood by customers and staff in a record store, to the average person, it sounds like foreign language. And herein lies a lesson that needs to be learnt. When designing your website or any promotional material, make sure you use language that all your customers understand.
If you are a web designer, forget about impressing your customers by using big words such as URL, Search Engines, Domain Name, HTML, etc. To you it may be everyday language but to your potential customers they are jargon. Some may even be intimidated by it and rather than trying to work out what you mean, they will leave your website.
"But if I am a web designer, how do I write my copy without using these words?" The answer is simple. Use the words, but explain what they mean. You can either provide a simple explanation or include a Dictionary/Encyclopaedia link on your site, such as:
http://www.webopedia.com
http://whatis.techtarget.com/
http://www.hyperdictionary.com/computer
http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/index.html
To find out whether the information contained on your website can easily be understood, show it to your grandmother or the owner of a small business, such as your local fruit shop, deli or laundromat. If you see a blank look on their faces, you may need to rework some of the copy. And don’t think just because you are working for mid size businesses or large corporations that the staff understand what you are talking about. Many executives will run a mile at the mention of the latest technology. So for their sakes and yours, keep it simple.
Whilst, the majority of newspapers and magazines write information so that it is understood by 10 year olds, giving your web copy to a young nephew for revision will not work. He will most likely understand the terms and may even teach you a thing or two, but he is not your potential customer (not yet).
Below is a list of words/phrases that you may use in everyday language, but which may baffle some of your customers. As an extra service for your customers, you may find it worthwhile to include these on your website:
Applet: A small but useful application often serving just a single purpose.
Compression: Technology for minimising the space a file occupies, to make it easier to store and faster to transmit.
Client: Describes the receiving computer, which calls information from a server or information storage computer. A client is anything that receives information - a desktop, notebook, handheld or even a mobile phone.
Cookie: An applet sent by a website to your computer to gather data about you, such as your log-on details and where you surfed immediately prior to coming to that site.
Cracker: Someone who taps into other people’s computers in order to steal information or do damage.
Cyberspace: Another word for the world of the internet.
Domain name: A domain name locates an entity on the net and has three parts:
(a) the www (the location of the host server),
(b) the organization identity and a suffix, which indicates the purpose of the entity, such as ".com" for a company or commercial enterprise, ".gov" for a government body, ".edu" for an education institution or ".org" for a non-profit body.
(c) other extensions identify the country in which the domain is located, such as ".au" or ".nz". Simple .com extensions signify that the domain was registered in the US.
Download: Bring information from the net to your computer
HTML (HyperText Markup Language): The code used to create web pages. HTML tells the user’s browser what the page should look like and how to present the content.
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): used by a browser to seek web pages from a server.
Hyperlinks: Underlined links found in web pages that will transport you to a related page simply by clicking on them.
MP3: File format that will compress, store and play music
Metatag: Keywords which describe the content of a website, designed as hooks for a search engine to bring people to that website.
Netizen: A citizen of the net.
Off-line: Not connected to the internet.
On-line: Connected to the internet.
POP (Point of Presence): The ISP (Internet Service Provider) connection dial-in point.
POP-based Mail: Mail that is stored on the ISP’s server until you download it. You can keep a copy on your hard drive and view e-mails even when you’re not connected.
Search Engine: Software tool for helping you find useful, relevant information on-line.
Server: Computer that stores information and forwards it on request to the “client”.
Shareware: Software issued on try-before-you-buy basis.
TCP/IP: The protocol or set of instructions used to ferry traffic across the internet.
Upload: Send information from your computer to the internet.
USB (Universal Serial Bus): a new connection technology for adding peripherals, such as a printer to your computer.
URL (Universal Resource Locator): a website’s address.
Keep in mind, this rule does not only apply to web designers, but every other business. So if you are designing a website for a client and are confused by the terminology, you may want to bring it to their attention and help them rework the copy so ALL their customers understand it.
--------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
Monday, October 09, 2006
7 Easy Ways to Grow and Manage Your Customer List
In order for your business to succeed on the internet, you need to convince your visitors that you are reliable, trustworthy and that you care about them. The best way to do this is to build a relationship with them. Provide your customers with lots of valuable information and they’ll never look at your competitor again!
But first things first. To start communicating with your potential customers on a regular basis, you need to know who they are. Most people are reluctant to give you more than their first name and email address, so initially that’s all you should be focussing on.
Collecting names and email addresses
There are several ways you can do this.
1. Subscribe form on your website
Include a “subscribe” form on your website, preferably on the homepage and on as many other pages as possible. Remember not all your visitors will come to your website via the homepage. Explain exactly what your visitors will receive and how often. You also need to assure them you will never sell their contact details.
2. Add a survey to your website.
Find out what people think about your products, services and your website. At the end of the survey ask for their name and email address, again reassuring them their details will remain confidential.
3. Run a contest.
Contests are a great way to collect details, as visitors will have to give you the right information in order to be notified if they’ve won.
4. Offer a giveaway.
The best things you can give away are free reports, ebooks or information that your customers will find helpful. If you don’t have anything to give away, you can easily find something on the internet. Visit the following websites:
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://www.planetpdf.com
5. Pop-ups or Hover Ads
These are the little windows that pop up, when you arrive on somebody’s website or when you are leaving. Unfortunately many people now have pop-up blockers on their computers, so you may find hover ads much more effective. For more information about hover ads, go to:
http://www.marketingtips.com/hover/
To find out more about pop-ups, visit:
http://www.nowsell.com/pop-ups/
6. Ask in your offline correspondence.
Next time you are sending a postcard, letter, invoice or any other correspondence to your customers, ask them for their email address. Explain why you would like it and even offer them a bonus, such as a free report.
7. Purchase Leads
There are many companies who will provide leads or prospects for your business. For a fee, they will display your advertisement (similar to a classified ad) and when someone clicks on it, they will be taken to your website, where they can be encouraged to subscribe to your newsletter. Alternatively, instead of advertising your website, advertise your autoresponder address. This way you will capture everyone’s email addresses. You can then set up your autoresponder to automatically deliver your promotion to people that request it.
The great thing about these targeted leads is that you are only paying for the people who want to know about your business and products. If you work out the cost of a lead versus regular advertising, you will no doubt come out on top. Generally the cost per lead is between $0.50 - $1.00. If on the other hand you advertise in a newspaper or a magazine and pay $200 for the advertisement from which you get 20 enquiries, the cost per lead is $10.
Check out:
http://leadfactory.com/leads/
www.getresponse.com
WARNING: NEVER, EVER BUY EMAIL ADDRESSES UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THE SUBSCRIBERS HAVE REQUESTED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM BUSINESSES SUCH AS YOURS.
Managing Your Email List
There are 2 ways to manage your mailing list – manually and automatically.
1. Manually.
Whenever you receive a customer email address you can add it to your email program, such Outlook Express. Most email programs allow you to create mailing lists.
If you use Outlook Express, you can use your Address Book, where you can create groups of contacts to make it easy to send e-mail to a set of people, such as business associates, prospects or customers. Any time you want to send e-mail to everyone in the group, just use the group name instead of entering each contact individually. Creating groups is also a good way to organize a large Address Book.
First, you need add your contacts
(a) On the Outlook Express toolbar, click Tools, and then click Address Book.
(b) In the Address Book, select the folder to which you want to add a contact.
(c) On the Address Book toolbar, click New, and then click New Contact.
(d) On the Name tab, type at least the first and last name of the contact. This is the display name.
(e) A display name is required for each contact. If you enter a first, middle, or last name, it will automatically appear in the Display box. You can change the display name by typing in a different name or by selecting from the drop-down list. The drop-down list will contain variations of the first, middle, and last name, as well as anything you typed in the Nickname box or the Company box on the Business tab. On each of the other tabs, add any information you would like to include.
Second, create Groups or mailing categories
You can create a single group name (or alias) to use when sending a message to several contacts at once. Simply create a group name and add individual contacts to the group. Then, just type the group name in the To box when you send e-mail.
(a) In the Address Book, select the folder in which you want to create a group. Click New on the toolbar, and then click New Group.
(b) The Properties dialog box opens. In the Group Name box, type the name of the group.
(c) There are several ways to add people to the group:
- To add a person from your Address Book list, click Select Members, and then click a name from the Address Book list.
- To add a person directly to the group without adding the name to your Address Book, type the person's name and e-mail address in the lower half of the Properties dialog box, and then click Add.
- To add a person to both the group and your Address Book, click New Contact and fill in the appropriate information.
You can also store your contacts in a table in Microsoft Word, in a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel or in a database, such as Microsoft Access. Then when you are ready to send out your message, you simply “merge” the addresses with your newsletter and send the result to your email program. This is slightly more complex, but allows you to easily personalise your newsletter.
The advantage of managing your mailing list manually is that it won’t cost you anything, except for your time.
The disadvantage is that you may have to spend a lot of time maintaining your mailing list – managing the subscriptions, unsubscriptions, bounced messages etc
2. Automatically
Web-based software
There are many online services that allow you to manage your mailing list automatically. They handle the subscriptions, unsubscriptions and bounced emails without you having to lift a finger. When you wish to send out a message, it’s as simple as typing your message and pressing a “Send” button.
One of the best services I’ve come across is GetResponse – www.getresponse.com GetResponse is a complete email marketing service. It provides you with unlimited autoresponders, follow-ups, messages, lists, broadcasts and email marketing campaigns, 150+ professionally designed HTML templates, powerful, cost-effective newsletter hosting, unparalleled email deliverability, click-through, sales and revenue tracking, top-notch support and training. The cost of this service is less than a dollar a day and saves you hours of work each week.
Other reputable services include:
Constant Contact - http://www.constantcontact.com
Email Manager Pro - http://www.email-manager-pro.com
Software on your computer
You can also purchase software that will help you send out personalised email. The software works similarly to the web-based software, but the main difference is that it is installed on your computer.
So if you find:
- sending e-mail campaigns and newsletters,
- replying to HUNDREDS of e-mails, filled with questions from potential buyers,
- sending "customer service" e-mails to NEW customers and subscribers and
- keeping your e-mail list "clean"
a real challenge, this may be the ideal solution for you. One software that comes highly recommended to handle all of these tasks is Mailloop. To check it out visit: http://www.marketingtips.com/mailloop/t.x/875347
Remember staying in touch with your prospects and customers should be a number one priority in your marketing efforts. If you have a website and are not collecting visitor details and building relationships with them, you are committing online suicide. It’s that simple.
-----------------------------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
But first things first. To start communicating with your potential customers on a regular basis, you need to know who they are. Most people are reluctant to give you more than their first name and email address, so initially that’s all you should be focussing on.
Collecting names and email addresses
There are several ways you can do this.
1. Subscribe form on your website
Include a “subscribe” form on your website, preferably on the homepage and on as many other pages as possible. Remember not all your visitors will come to your website via the homepage. Explain exactly what your visitors will receive and how often. You also need to assure them you will never sell their contact details.
2. Add a survey to your website.
Find out what people think about your products, services and your website. At the end of the survey ask for their name and email address, again reassuring them their details will remain confidential.
3. Run a contest.
Contests are a great way to collect details, as visitors will have to give you the right information in order to be notified if they’ve won.
4. Offer a giveaway.
The best things you can give away are free reports, ebooks or information that your customers will find helpful. If you don’t have anything to give away, you can easily find something on the internet. Visit the following websites:
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://www.planetpdf.com
5. Pop-ups or Hover Ads
These are the little windows that pop up, when you arrive on somebody’s website or when you are leaving. Unfortunately many people now have pop-up blockers on their computers, so you may find hover ads much more effective. For more information about hover ads, go to:
http://www.marketingtips.com/hover/
To find out more about pop-ups, visit:
http://www.nowsell.com/pop-ups/
6. Ask in your offline correspondence.
Next time you are sending a postcard, letter, invoice or any other correspondence to your customers, ask them for their email address. Explain why you would like it and even offer them a bonus, such as a free report.
7. Purchase Leads
There are many companies who will provide leads or prospects for your business. For a fee, they will display your advertisement (similar to a classified ad) and when someone clicks on it, they will be taken to your website, where they can be encouraged to subscribe to your newsletter. Alternatively, instead of advertising your website, advertise your autoresponder address. This way you will capture everyone’s email addresses. You can then set up your autoresponder to automatically deliver your promotion to people that request it.
The great thing about these targeted leads is that you are only paying for the people who want to know about your business and products. If you work out the cost of a lead versus regular advertising, you will no doubt come out on top. Generally the cost per lead is between $0.50 - $1.00. If on the other hand you advertise in a newspaper or a magazine and pay $200 for the advertisement from which you get 20 enquiries, the cost per lead is $10.
Check out:
http://leadfactory.com/leads/
www.getresponse.com
WARNING: NEVER, EVER BUY EMAIL ADDRESSES UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE THE SUBSCRIBERS HAVE REQUESTED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM BUSINESSES SUCH AS YOURS.
Managing Your Email List
There are 2 ways to manage your mailing list – manually and automatically.
1. Manually.
Whenever you receive a customer email address you can add it to your email program, such Outlook Express. Most email programs allow you to create mailing lists.
If you use Outlook Express, you can use your Address Book, where you can create groups of contacts to make it easy to send e-mail to a set of people, such as business associates, prospects or customers. Any time you want to send e-mail to everyone in the group, just use the group name instead of entering each contact individually. Creating groups is also a good way to organize a large Address Book.
First, you need add your contacts
(a) On the Outlook Express toolbar, click Tools, and then click Address Book.
(b) In the Address Book, select the folder to which you want to add a contact.
(c) On the Address Book toolbar, click New, and then click New Contact.
(d) On the Name tab, type at least the first and last name of the contact. This is the display name.
(e) A display name is required for each contact. If you enter a first, middle, or last name, it will automatically appear in the Display box. You can change the display name by typing in a different name or by selecting from the drop-down list. The drop-down list will contain variations of the first, middle, and last name, as well as anything you typed in the Nickname box or the Company box on the Business tab. On each of the other tabs, add any information you would like to include.
Second, create Groups or mailing categories
You can create a single group name (or alias) to use when sending a message to several contacts at once. Simply create a group name and add individual contacts to the group. Then, just type the group name in the To box when you send e-mail.
(a) In the Address Book, select the folder in which you want to create a group. Click New on the toolbar, and then click New Group.
(b) The Properties dialog box opens. In the Group Name box, type the name of the group.
(c) There are several ways to add people to the group:
- To add a person from your Address Book list, click Select Members, and then click a name from the Address Book list.
- To add a person directly to the group without adding the name to your Address Book, type the person's name and e-mail address in the lower half of the Properties dialog box, and then click Add.
- To add a person to both the group and your Address Book, click New Contact and fill in the appropriate information.
You can also store your contacts in a table in Microsoft Word, in a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel or in a database, such as Microsoft Access. Then when you are ready to send out your message, you simply “merge” the addresses with your newsletter and send the result to your email program. This is slightly more complex, but allows you to easily personalise your newsletter.
The advantage of managing your mailing list manually is that it won’t cost you anything, except for your time.
The disadvantage is that you may have to spend a lot of time maintaining your mailing list – managing the subscriptions, unsubscriptions, bounced messages etc
2. Automatically
Web-based software
There are many online services that allow you to manage your mailing list automatically. They handle the subscriptions, unsubscriptions and bounced emails without you having to lift a finger. When you wish to send out a message, it’s as simple as typing your message and pressing a “Send” button.
One of the best services I’ve come across is GetResponse – www.getresponse.com GetResponse is a complete email marketing service. It provides you with unlimited autoresponders, follow-ups, messages, lists, broadcasts and email marketing campaigns, 150+ professionally designed HTML templates, powerful, cost-effective newsletter hosting, unparalleled email deliverability, click-through, sales and revenue tracking, top-notch support and training. The cost of this service is less than a dollar a day and saves you hours of work each week.
Other reputable services include:
Constant Contact - http://www.constantcontact.com
Email Manager Pro - http://www.email-manager-pro.com
Software on your computer
You can also purchase software that will help you send out personalised email. The software works similarly to the web-based software, but the main difference is that it is installed on your computer.
So if you find:
- sending e-mail campaigns and newsletters,
- replying to HUNDREDS of e-mails, filled with questions from potential buyers,
- sending "customer service" e-mails to NEW customers and subscribers and
- keeping your e-mail list "clean"
a real challenge, this may be the ideal solution for you. One software that comes highly recommended to handle all of these tasks is Mailloop. To check it out visit: http://www.marketingtips.com/mailloop/t.x/875347
Remember staying in touch with your prospects and customers should be a number one priority in your marketing efforts. If you have a website and are not collecting visitor details and building relationships with them, you are committing online suicide. It’s that simple.
-----------------------------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
Saturday, September 30, 2006
A pretty face is not enough! (when it comes to your website)
Imagine meeting someone new … they have a beautiful face, lovely hair, stunning smile, drop dead gorgeous body and are dressed in designer clothes. Naturally you are attracted to their striking appearance, so you start talking to them. After a few minutes you realize this person has no personality, only talks about himself/herself and has no interest in finding out about you. Any attempt on your part to speak gets shut down and if you do manage to ask a question their answer is usually “Yes, but … let’s get back to me”.
How long do you think you would stay and chat to this person? Do you think you would want to become friends? Probably not.
And the same goes for your website! You can create the most stunning website, with flash animations, video or audio features, rotating logos etc but the truth is, if your website doesn’t have any depth, no amount of “pretty” will get visitors to come back, let alone purchase anything!
Just as Dr Phil warns against spending your entire time planning a wedding (and spending thousands of dollars on it), instead of preparing for a lifelong marriage, many first time entrepreneurs become absorbed by the visual aspects of their website. They spend hours agonizing over colour schemes and designs (and then spend thousands of dollars having special effects added), but sadly don’t give any priority or time to the content of their website.
Every month millions of new websites are being added to the internet and you are competing against all of them! Even if they are not in the same line of business as you are, they are competing with you for visitor attention.
And even if you do manage to get a visitor to your website, but fail to provide the necessary information, your potential customer will click away in seconds, never to be seen again!
As a new or prospective website owner, you are faced with three major issues, when it comes to having a successful website:
1. Driving traffic to your website
2. Converting visitors into paying customers
3. Getting customers to come back and purchase more
1. Driving traffic to your website
This is a broad subject and has been covered by an earlier article, entitled “30 ways to promote your business & website on a shoestring budget”. You can view it by going to: www.web4business.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm.
2. Converting visitors into paying customers
This is one of the areas in which most business owners fail. The main reasons are that they:
(a) Don’t provide information that their customers are looking for. For example, if you are selling furniture and your website only features a “general” category of products being sold, but not specific items, their prices and measurements, the customer will go somewhere else. If someone is looking on the internet for a sofa, they need to know whether it will fit into their home, whether it is within their budget and how it will look. The customer wants to know the information there and then. They are not going to wait until they can speak to someone on the phone or even drive to the store to find out. They will find another supplier (even an overseas one) who does provide the information. So when creating your website, PLEASE PLEASE ensure that you supply as much information as possible about each product and service, including its price (or price range).
(b) Don’t make it easy for their customers to find the information. It is important that your website is easy to navigate. This means placing your navigation bar at the top or left hand-side, as this is the first place majority of people look for. Contact details should be displayed not only on “Contact Us” page, but also at the bottom of each page.
(c) Don’t prove their credibility. Sure many companies speak about themselves and how great their products are and why you should buy from them, but the reality is no-one really believes them. International Marketer & Author Darrell Berg-Smith (www.darrellberg-smith.com) says that you should “Forget selling; prove your expertise. Start to position yourself as the expert on your product or service. You don’t do this by claiming to be the expert, or displaying your impressive CV. You do it instead by sharing your knowledge and giving your customers helpful, relevant information, without a sales gimmick and for free.”
Another way to prove your credibility is by simply placing testimonials from happy customers on your website. If you don’t have any, GET THEM NOW!
3. Getting visitors to come back and purchase more
In order for your customers to come back to your website, your first transaction with them must prove flawless. Your products/services need to be delivered exactly as stated on the website and be delivered on time (or sooner). In reality, you should under-promise and over-deliver. Provide your customer with bonuses, such as free information. If for example, you sell baby products, you can send your customers tips on how to settle their baby, a list of child-friendly services in their area, advise on baby skin care etc.
You should also include as much information as possible on your website – free resources, articles, reports, ebooks relating to your industry, service and products. You can easily source free information on the internet. If you need help with this, please contact me (ivana@web4business.com.au) and I will gladly help. This will ensure that your customers will keep coming back to your website, even if it is just to get information. The more they visit, the more you will stick in their mind as an expert and the next time they are ready to order your products/services, you will be their first choice.
Another way of staying in touch with your customers is by sending them a regular newsletter. This can be done, weekly, fortnightly or monthly. You can do it manually if you don’t initially have many subscribers, but as your subscriptions grow, you should consider using inexpensive mailing software such as GetResponse (www.getresponse.com), which will not only handle your mailing list, but also allow you to easily send out newsletters.
Remember once you’ve created your website, the work doesn’t stop there. You need to keep updating the content to keep your customers and search engines happy. Your marketing also needs to continue. There is no point in spending thousands of dollars on creating a beautiful looking website if no-one is going to visit it or worse still, refuse to buy products/services.
--------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. ivana@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au.
How long do you think you would stay and chat to this person? Do you think you would want to become friends? Probably not.
And the same goes for your website! You can create the most stunning website, with flash animations, video or audio features, rotating logos etc but the truth is, if your website doesn’t have any depth, no amount of “pretty” will get visitors to come back, let alone purchase anything!
Just as Dr Phil warns against spending your entire time planning a wedding (and spending thousands of dollars on it), instead of preparing for a lifelong marriage, many first time entrepreneurs become absorbed by the visual aspects of their website. They spend hours agonizing over colour schemes and designs (and then spend thousands of dollars having special effects added), but sadly don’t give any priority or time to the content of their website.
Every month millions of new websites are being added to the internet and you are competing against all of them! Even if they are not in the same line of business as you are, they are competing with you for visitor attention.
And even if you do manage to get a visitor to your website, but fail to provide the necessary information, your potential customer will click away in seconds, never to be seen again!
As a new or prospective website owner, you are faced with three major issues, when it comes to having a successful website:
1. Driving traffic to your website
2. Converting visitors into paying customers
3. Getting customers to come back and purchase more
1. Driving traffic to your website
This is a broad subject and has been covered by an earlier article, entitled “30 ways to promote your business & website on a shoestring budget”. You can view it by going to: www.web4business.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm.
2. Converting visitors into paying customers
This is one of the areas in which most business owners fail. The main reasons are that they:
(a) Don’t provide information that their customers are looking for. For example, if you are selling furniture and your website only features a “general” category of products being sold, but not specific items, their prices and measurements, the customer will go somewhere else. If someone is looking on the internet for a sofa, they need to know whether it will fit into their home, whether it is within their budget and how it will look. The customer wants to know the information there and then. They are not going to wait until they can speak to someone on the phone or even drive to the store to find out. They will find another supplier (even an overseas one) who does provide the information. So when creating your website, PLEASE PLEASE ensure that you supply as much information as possible about each product and service, including its price (or price range).
(b) Don’t make it easy for their customers to find the information. It is important that your website is easy to navigate. This means placing your navigation bar at the top or left hand-side, as this is the first place majority of people look for. Contact details should be displayed not only on “Contact Us” page, but also at the bottom of each page.
(c) Don’t prove their credibility. Sure many companies speak about themselves and how great their products are and why you should buy from them, but the reality is no-one really believes them. International Marketer & Author Darrell Berg-Smith (www.darrellberg-smith.com) says that you should “Forget selling; prove your expertise. Start to position yourself as the expert on your product or service. You don’t do this by claiming to be the expert, or displaying your impressive CV. You do it instead by sharing your knowledge and giving your customers helpful, relevant information, without a sales gimmick and for free.”
Another way to prove your credibility is by simply placing testimonials from happy customers on your website. If you don’t have any, GET THEM NOW!
3. Getting visitors to come back and purchase more
In order for your customers to come back to your website, your first transaction with them must prove flawless. Your products/services need to be delivered exactly as stated on the website and be delivered on time (or sooner). In reality, you should under-promise and over-deliver. Provide your customer with bonuses, such as free information. If for example, you sell baby products, you can send your customers tips on how to settle their baby, a list of child-friendly services in their area, advise on baby skin care etc.
You should also include as much information as possible on your website – free resources, articles, reports, ebooks relating to your industry, service and products. You can easily source free information on the internet. If you need help with this, please contact me (ivana@web4business.com.au) and I will gladly help. This will ensure that your customers will keep coming back to your website, even if it is just to get information. The more they visit, the more you will stick in their mind as an expert and the next time they are ready to order your products/services, you will be their first choice.
Another way of staying in touch with your customers is by sending them a regular newsletter. This can be done, weekly, fortnightly or monthly. You can do it manually if you don’t initially have many subscribers, but as your subscriptions grow, you should consider using inexpensive mailing software such as GetResponse (www.getresponse.com), which will not only handle your mailing list, but also allow you to easily send out newsletters.
Remember once you’ve created your website, the work doesn’t stop there. You need to keep updating the content to keep your customers and search engines happy. Your marketing also needs to continue. There is no point in spending thousands of dollars on creating a beautiful looking website if no-one is going to visit it or worse still, refuse to buy products/services.
--------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. ivana@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au.
Monday, August 07, 2006
10 Tips for Planning an Outstanding Website
When faced with the daunting task of planning what to include on your website and how to write the copy, here are a few tips that will make the task easier for you.
1. Visitor Friendly
The main thing to keep in mind is that your website needs to be visitor friendly. What this means is that your customer must be able to find what they are looking for easily and quickly. And that means great navigational system.
Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it. It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
2. Search Engine Friendly
Search engines try to list sites that contain good content, so you need keywords and phrases on your pages that best describe your service and products. For example, if you are a florist, use the words such as florist, online florist, virtual florist, wedding florist, florist in Sydney, florist on line, flowers, floral, bouquets, floral arrangements etc as many times as possible to ensure high search engine ranking. To find out what keywords your customers may be searching on ask your family and friends or go to:
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
http://www.wordtracker.com
Once you decide on the keywords, use them in
(a) Your website’s domain name
(b) The title of your page – This is displayed in the top bar of your browser window
(c) The heading of your home page
(d) The first paragraph of your home page
(e) Meta tags – Keywords, page title, description
(f) Titles of your graphics
Whilst it is important to use keywords as much as possible, it is also important you use them only if they are relevant and do not sound awkward. If you spam your keywords you may be penalised or even banned by some search engines.
3. Informational vs On-line Store
One of the first decisions you need to make is what type of website to have. Will it be informational only or will it be an on-line store or a combination of both? An informational website is like having an on-line brochure. It does not sell products directly to customers, but rather provides details of your business, its products and services and occasionally features a printable order form.
The other type of website is an on-line store. It is a virtual salesperson who potentially never stops providing presales information to your prospects - and then making sales to them.
4. Create a Plan
Before you start thinking about what to write on each page of your website, it is important that you create a plan, which lists all the pages you wish to include. Below is a list of the most commonly used pages:
(a) Home Page (First Page)
(b) Products / Services
(c) Contact Us
(d) Pricing
(e) Testimonials / Product Reviews / Before & After
(f) Frequently Asked Questions
(g) Response form such as “Subscribe” or “Enquiry” form
(h) On-line Magazine or Newsletter
(i) Resources/Articles
(j) About Us
(k) Guarantee
(l) Survey
(m) Events Calendar
(n) Search My Website Feature
(o) Return/Refund Policy
(p) Privacy Policy
(q) Site Map
(r) Copyright Information
(s) Links
(t) Media Information
(u) News
(v) On-line store
5. Cross-sell / Up-sell as part of your content
If a customer is looking for a particular product, offer them details of related products. By recommending other products, your customers will learn what else is available and in many cases it will translate to additional sales for you.
A company that does this exceptionally well is Amazon – www.amazon.com. Search for a particular book and you will find information on what other people who ordered this book also bought.
Make it as easy as possible for customers to complete an order by providing clear instructions. Ensure delivery costs are outlined before a customer begins the ordering process.
6. Focus on the customer and their needs
Rather than trying to “sell your business”, let your prospects know how your product/service is going to benefit them. Emphasize the benefits and solve problems. Make this the focus of everything you write on every page of your site. Don’t try to sell visitors your products or service, help them.
7. Remind your visitors
Remind your visitors they can print out your content. They may browse around your website while it’s printing.
8. Use headlines and sub-headlines to grab visitor’s attention
9. Offer value
Offer bonuses, free trials, discounts and prizes. List the dollar value beside each bonus. People will feel they’re getting a good deal and it will increase the value of your product.
10. Spell check and grammar check your website
Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Check that all links are working and graphics displaying correctly.
If you are still struggling with where to start, visit your supplier’s or competitor’s websites. Be careful that if you use copy from their site that you do not infringe copyright laws. If in doubt, contact the author or copyright owner and ask for permission.
Your ultimate goal is to turn a visitor into a customer. On your website, this is done by providing premium content. Each page should be its own mini site. As you have no control over how a visitor enters your website, it is important they are able to easily work out what your business offers and navigate to other pages within your site.
-------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
This article can be republished for free as long as the author information and website links are included.
1. Visitor Friendly
The main thing to keep in mind is that your website needs to be visitor friendly. What this means is that your customer must be able to find what they are looking for easily and quickly. And that means great navigational system.
Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it. It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
2. Search Engine Friendly
Search engines try to list sites that contain good content, so you need keywords and phrases on your pages that best describe your service and products. For example, if you are a florist, use the words such as florist, online florist, virtual florist, wedding florist, florist in Sydney, florist on line, flowers, floral, bouquets, floral arrangements etc as many times as possible to ensure high search engine ranking. To find out what keywords your customers may be searching on ask your family and friends or go to:
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
http://www.wordtracker.com
Once you decide on the keywords, use them in
(a) Your website’s domain name
(b) The title of your page – This is displayed in the top bar of your browser window
(c) The heading of your home page
(d) The first paragraph of your home page
(e) Meta tags – Keywords, page title, description
(f) Titles of your graphics
Whilst it is important to use keywords as much as possible, it is also important you use them only if they are relevant and do not sound awkward. If you spam your keywords you may be penalised or even banned by some search engines.
3. Informational vs On-line Store
One of the first decisions you need to make is what type of website to have. Will it be informational only or will it be an on-line store or a combination of both? An informational website is like having an on-line brochure. It does not sell products directly to customers, but rather provides details of your business, its products and services and occasionally features a printable order form.
The other type of website is an on-line store. It is a virtual salesperson who potentially never stops providing presales information to your prospects - and then making sales to them.
4. Create a Plan
Before you start thinking about what to write on each page of your website, it is important that you create a plan, which lists all the pages you wish to include. Below is a list of the most commonly used pages:
(a) Home Page (First Page)
(b) Products / Services
(c) Contact Us
(d) Pricing
(e) Testimonials / Product Reviews / Before & After
(f) Frequently Asked Questions
(g) Response form such as “Subscribe” or “Enquiry” form
(h) On-line Magazine or Newsletter
(i) Resources/Articles
(j) About Us
(k) Guarantee
(l) Survey
(m) Events Calendar
(n) Search My Website Feature
(o) Return/Refund Policy
(p) Privacy Policy
(q) Site Map
(r) Copyright Information
(s) Links
(t) Media Information
(u) News
(v) On-line store
5. Cross-sell / Up-sell as part of your content
If a customer is looking for a particular product, offer them details of related products. By recommending other products, your customers will learn what else is available and in many cases it will translate to additional sales for you.
A company that does this exceptionally well is Amazon – www.amazon.com. Search for a particular book and you will find information on what other people who ordered this book also bought.
Make it as easy as possible for customers to complete an order by providing clear instructions. Ensure delivery costs are outlined before a customer begins the ordering process.
6. Focus on the customer and their needs
Rather than trying to “sell your business”, let your prospects know how your product/service is going to benefit them. Emphasize the benefits and solve problems. Make this the focus of everything you write on every page of your site. Don’t try to sell visitors your products or service, help them.
7. Remind your visitors
Remind your visitors they can print out your content. They may browse around your website while it’s printing.
8. Use headlines and sub-headlines to grab visitor’s attention
9. Offer value
Offer bonuses, free trials, discounts and prizes. List the dollar value beside each bonus. People will feel they’re getting a good deal and it will increase the value of your product.
10. Spell check and grammar check your website
Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Check that all links are working and graphics displaying correctly.
If you are still struggling with where to start, visit your supplier’s or competitor’s websites. Be careful that if you use copy from their site that you do not infringe copyright laws. If in doubt, contact the author or copyright owner and ask for permission.
Your ultimate goal is to turn a visitor into a customer. On your website, this is done by providing premium content. Each page should be its own mini site. As you have no control over how a visitor enters your website, it is important they are able to easily work out what your business offers and navigate to other pages within your site.
-------------------
About the Author: Ivana Katz, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
This article can be republished for free as long as the author information and website links are included.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Frequently Asked Questions about Websites - Part 2
6. How do I ensure my website is customer friendly?
(a) Provide an easy to use navigation system.
This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it.
Please make sure your navigation bar is on every page, as visitors may not arrive at your website via your homepage. Because most Search Engines index your webpages by their content, one of your secondary pages may rank higher than your homepage. And if you don’t have a navigation bar, your visitors won’t have anywhere else to go.
It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
(b) Don’t go overboard on special effects
Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading.
If your website contains special effects that require extra software to be downloaded, you can be sure that 99% of people will not bother and will leave your website immediately.
When including pictures and photos, please ensure they are the smallest possible size so that they download quickly.
(c) Backgrounds
Make sure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light.
Stay away from busy backgrounds that distract from the content. White is still the most popular choice for background and it is so for a reason. It looks clean and is easy to read. If you wish to add a little more oomph to your website, add colourful headings or pictures.
(d) External Links
It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link.
(e) Site Map & Search Feature
If your website is more than 15 pages long, it is useful to have a site map or a “Search” feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they’re looking for. A site map is simply a text index of your website.
(f) Content is King
While it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion. Don’t spend too much time worrying about whether Betty Jones will like your buttons. She has come to your website for information, not to criticise your buttons and headings.
If you want a professional website, things to stay away from include:
1. Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes
2. Loads of pop up or pop under boxes
3. Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
4. Hit counters of the free variety, which say “you are 27th visitor”
5. Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly
6. Busy backgrounds.
7. What pages should I include my website?
Before you start thinking about what to write on each page of your website, it is important that you create a plan, which lists all the pages you wish to include. Below is a list of the most commonly used pages:
(a) Home Page (First Page)
(b) Products / Services
(c) Contact Us
(d) Pricing
(e) Testimonials / Product Reviews / Before & After
(f) Frequently Asked Questions
(g) Response form such as “Subscribe” or “Enquiry” form
(h) On-line Magazine or Newsletter
(i) Resources/Articles
(j) About Us
(k) Guarantee
(l) Survey
(m) Events Calendar
(n) Search My Website Feature
(o) Return/Refund Policy
(p) Privacy Policy
(q) Site Map
(r) Copyright Information
(s) Links
(t) Media Information
(u) News
(v) On-line store
8. What’s a web hosting company? Do I need one?
A Web host is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office. You can build your own building and you can host your own website, but because of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the space. Without a web hosting company, nobody will be able to see your website.
9. Do I really need a website?
If you consider the benefits, the answer is pretty clear:
(a) Save time – Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct customers to your website, where you can provide all the information they need. Whether it be your product or service list, pricing, business hours or simply directions to your bricks and mortar shop.
(b) Save money on advertising – Instead of paying for large ads, simply advertise your website
(c) Be flexible in your message – Change the content as your business changes. No need for expensive brochure or flyer reprints.
(d) Save money on postage – Email customers news about your products instead. It doesn’t cost you anything.
(e) Gain exposure to new customers – You will reach more local clients as well as interstate and global markets.
(f) Have a more professional image – Keep up with the times and your competitors. If your clients are asking whether you have a website, now you can answer “I will tomorrow”.
(g) Have your business open 24/7. Provide customers information when THEY need it. If you don’t someone else will.
10. How much does it cost to get a website?
The cost of the website generally depends on its functionality. For example an informational website is much cheaper than a website that features an on-line store. There are 3 components to having a website:
(a) Domain name
(b) Webhosting
(c) Website Design
The costs are as follows:
(a) Domain name
Australian domain names (ie. “.com.au”, “.net.au”) cost $140 for 2 years
Global domain names (ie. “.com”, “.net” etc) cost $60 per year
(b) Webhosting
The price depends on the type and size of the website you have. We can host your website for as little as $30 per month. This covers 90% of small business’ needs.
(c) Website Design.
Again this depends on the size of the website and its functionality. However, we can design a 3 page website for as little as $165 and an on-line store from $800. For more pricing details, visit: http://www.web4business.com.au/Pricing.htm
11. How long will it take to get my website up and running?
Again this depends on the size of your website, but for a 3-10 page website the turnaround time is usually 3-7 business days.
(a) Provide an easy to use navigation system.
This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it.
Please make sure your navigation bar is on every page, as visitors may not arrive at your website via your homepage. Because most Search Engines index your webpages by their content, one of your secondary pages may rank higher than your homepage. And if you don’t have a navigation bar, your visitors won’t have anywhere else to go.
It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
(b) Don’t go overboard on special effects
Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading.
If your website contains special effects that require extra software to be downloaded, you can be sure that 99% of people will not bother and will leave your website immediately.
When including pictures and photos, please ensure they are the smallest possible size so that they download quickly.
(c) Backgrounds
Make sure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light.
Stay away from busy backgrounds that distract from the content. White is still the most popular choice for background and it is so for a reason. It looks clean and is easy to read. If you wish to add a little more oomph to your website, add colourful headings or pictures.
(d) External Links
It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link.
(e) Site Map & Search Feature
If your website is more than 15 pages long, it is useful to have a site map or a “Search” feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they’re looking for. A site map is simply a text index of your website.
(f) Content is King
While it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion. Don’t spend too much time worrying about whether Betty Jones will like your buttons. She has come to your website for information, not to criticise your buttons and headings.
If you want a professional website, things to stay away from include:
1. Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes
2. Loads of pop up or pop under boxes
3. Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
4. Hit counters of the free variety, which say “you are 27th visitor”
5. Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly
6. Busy backgrounds.
7. What pages should I include my website?
Before you start thinking about what to write on each page of your website, it is important that you create a plan, which lists all the pages you wish to include. Below is a list of the most commonly used pages:
(a) Home Page (First Page)
(b) Products / Services
(c) Contact Us
(d) Pricing
(e) Testimonials / Product Reviews / Before & After
(f) Frequently Asked Questions
(g) Response form such as “Subscribe” or “Enquiry” form
(h) On-line Magazine or Newsletter
(i) Resources/Articles
(j) About Us
(k) Guarantee
(l) Survey
(m) Events Calendar
(n) Search My Website Feature
(o) Return/Refund Policy
(p) Privacy Policy
(q) Site Map
(r) Copyright Information
(s) Links
(t) Media Information
(u) News
(v) On-line store
8. What’s a web hosting company? Do I need one?
A Web host is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office. You can build your own building and you can host your own website, but because of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the space. Without a web hosting company, nobody will be able to see your website.
9. Do I really need a website?
If you consider the benefits, the answer is pretty clear:
(a) Save time – Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct customers to your website, where you can provide all the information they need. Whether it be your product or service list, pricing, business hours or simply directions to your bricks and mortar shop.
(b) Save money on advertising – Instead of paying for large ads, simply advertise your website
(c) Be flexible in your message – Change the content as your business changes. No need for expensive brochure or flyer reprints.
(d) Save money on postage – Email customers news about your products instead. It doesn’t cost you anything.
(e) Gain exposure to new customers – You will reach more local clients as well as interstate and global markets.
(f) Have a more professional image – Keep up with the times and your competitors. If your clients are asking whether you have a website, now you can answer “I will tomorrow”.
(g) Have your business open 24/7. Provide customers information when THEY need it. If you don’t someone else will.
10. How much does it cost to get a website?
The cost of the website generally depends on its functionality. For example an informational website is much cheaper than a website that features an on-line store. There are 3 components to having a website:
(a) Domain name
(b) Webhosting
(c) Website Design
The costs are as follows:
(a) Domain name
Australian domain names (ie. “.com.au”, “.net.au”) cost $140 for 2 years
Global domain names (ie. “.com”, “.net” etc) cost $60 per year
(b) Webhosting
The price depends on the type and size of the website you have. We can host your website for as little as $30 per month. This covers 90% of small business’ needs.
(c) Website Design.
Again this depends on the size of the website and its functionality. However, we can design a 3 page website for as little as $165 and an on-line store from $800. For more pricing details, visit: http://www.web4business.com.au/Pricing.htm
11. How long will it take to get my website up and running?
Again this depends on the size of your website, but for a 3-10 page website the turnaround time is usually 3-7 business days.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Frequently Asked Questions about Websites
1. What is a domain name?
The purpose of a domain name is similar to that of a street address or telephone number. The domain name directs customers to you on the Internet. The domain by itself is not your email or web address. The domain does form the base from which these addresses are derived.
For example:
Company Name: Websites 4 Small Business
Domain Name: web4business.com.au
Web Address: www.web4business.com.au
Email Address: info@web4business.com.au
2. Do I need to register a domain name to have a website?
The simple answer is NO, but a better answer is YES it is a good idea. The cost of registering '.com.au' domain name is only A$140 for 2 years and has many advantages. Read more.. http://www.web4business.com.au/GettingStartedStep1.htm
3. How do I find out if my domain name is still available?
Once you have decided on the domain name that you would like, you need to check if it is available. To check go to: www.melbourneit.com.au
4. What do I do if my domain name has been registered by someone else?
Panic! Just kidding!!! Simply call us and we can recommend alternative names that would be suitable for your business.
5. How do I choose a design for my website?
The best way to start is by choosing a colour scheme – 2-3 colours are the best. If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that’s a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them – don’t change colours on every page.
If you’re not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like. You can then model your colour scheme on what already exists.
Can’t find a website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many templates or pre-set designs. These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage) or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing templates.
You can find many templates by going to:
http://www.web4business.com.au/GettingStartedStep2.htm
These templates can be customised to suit your business. Templates are great, as they allow you to see what your website will look like before you spend any money. One suggestion for using templates – if you are planning to add a lot of your own pictures and photos, stick to a neutral, basic website which doesn’t have any graphics. This way your photos will stand out, instead of competing for attention.
Naturally, your designer is a good source of information. If you are looking for a custom website, he/she can design one for you from scratch, but knowing your preferable colours is a great help.
The purpose of a domain name is similar to that of a street address or telephone number. The domain name directs customers to you on the Internet. The domain by itself is not your email or web address. The domain does form the base from which these addresses are derived.
For example:
Company Name: Websites 4 Small Business
Domain Name: web4business.com.au
Web Address: www.web4business.com.au
Email Address: info@web4business.com.au
2. Do I need to register a domain name to have a website?
The simple answer is NO, but a better answer is YES it is a good idea. The cost of registering '.com.au' domain name is only A$140 for 2 years and has many advantages. Read more.. http://www.web4business.com.au/GettingStartedStep1.htm
3. How do I find out if my domain name is still available?
Once you have decided on the domain name that you would like, you need to check if it is available. To check go to: www.melbourneit.com.au
4. What do I do if my domain name has been registered by someone else?
Panic! Just kidding!!! Simply call us and we can recommend alternative names that would be suitable for your business.
5. How do I choose a design for my website?
The best way to start is by choosing a colour scheme – 2-3 colours are the best. If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that’s a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them – don’t change colours on every page.
If you’re not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like. You can then model your colour scheme on what already exists.
Can’t find a website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many templates or pre-set designs. These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage) or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing templates.
You can find many templates by going to:
http://www.web4business.com.au/GettingStartedStep2.htm
These templates can be customised to suit your business. Templates are great, as they allow you to see what your website will look like before you spend any money. One suggestion for using templates – if you are planning to add a lot of your own pictures and photos, stick to a neutral, basic website which doesn’t have any graphics. This way your photos will stand out, instead of competing for attention.
Naturally, your designer is a good source of information. If you are looking for a custom website, he/she can design one for you from scratch, but knowing your preferable colours is a great help.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Don't Waste Your Money Getting a Website
Don’t Waste Your Money Getting a Website …
By Ivana Katz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some time ago a distressed client (let’s call him Charlie) called me “I’ve distributed over 20,000 flyers about my business and nobody has bought anything from the website”. My first question to him was “did you check the spelling of your website address on the flyer?”. His response “I didn’t put my website address on the flyer – should I have?” … I didn’t know how to respond.
Shortly after, I got another call from Charlie … but more on that later.
Let’s face it, some people are just not ready to have a website. It seems that many first time entrepreneurs’ idea of starting a business is getting a website. And that’s it! They have no intentions of doing any marketing and if they do have a marketing plan it consists of telling their friends about it and possibly distributing a few brochures in the neighbourhood. Some people go as far as planning to advertise their business/website in the local newspaper. More often than not, they expect that as soon as they have a website, the money will start rolling in. They believe a magic internet fairy will appear and announce the arrival of their website to the world.
The truth is, it doesn’t work that way. With millions of websites popping up on the internet every month, you are competing against a lot of businesses … not only locally, but globally. So please please, before you think about getting a website, decide how you are going to promote it.
If you are about to declare bankrupt in your business and are thinking of putting your last few dollars into getting a website designed, hoping that it will bring you instant cash, don’t do it! A website will not solve your problems unless you are willing to put in some money (and it doesn’t have to be much) or time to promote it.
When I meet potential clients my first two questions are:
“Why do you want a website?” and “How are you going to promote it?”
Depending on their answer I guide them to the best solution. On a few occasions, I’ve had to tell them they were not ready to get their business on the internet.
In fact one client, who was desperate to make money from her website told me that she didn’t have time for marketing, because she needed to start earning money quickly.
On the other hand there have been lots of very successful entrepreneurs who have made their website work for them.
Lisa Pearse-Sargeant of Paper Scissors Rock Kids Group (www.paperscissorsrock.net) says “For the first six months of starting Paper Scissors Rock Kids due to a limited start-up budget we only had a basic web page in a newsletter format. This was until we had a better understanding of the business and direction it would take. Through a combined gathering of information at trade shows and print advertising, we felt ready to invest time and money in a proper website. Now our website has proven to be a cost effective way to showcase our product instead of printing costly catalogues. I believe for my business I need to have a crossover marketing approach ie. target trade & public through a mix of web & print advertising, store presentation/merchandising and trade exhibitions”
Josslyn Harrower of Snugzeez (www.snugzeez.com.au), found she desperately needed a website to showcase her products. “My business had been up and running for 3 months and most of my orders were from word of mouth. An international sleep expert 'Tizzie Hall' was personally recommending my sleep comforters to her clients, and they kept asking to see what the products looked like and what variety was available. My products were not available in stores so the only option was to have a website. It wasn't long before I was being approached by other websites to link their site to mine. This has definitely helped with marketing my products. I receive more hits on my site from Tizzie Hall's website and a few others than advertising in magazines or newspapers. Winning 'Best Product' at Sydney Kidz Expo last year certainly helped to boost my site's exposure."
If you decide to have a website, it is extremely important you take the time to plan it and work out how it will fit in with the rest of your business. The website needs to be functional, rather than just “pretty”. It needs to provide your visitors the information THEY need.
If you don’t know where to start, you can download a free Website Plan by going to: www.web4business.com.au/WebsitePlanRequest.htm
The last time I heard from Charlie, our conversation went something like this:
Charlie: “Ivana, can you please send an email to everybody telling them about my website”.
Me: “Yes of course … just send me your mailing list”
Charlie: “What do you mean mailing list? I don’t have one. I thought you just press a button!”
So please, before you pick up the phone and speak to a website designer, think about how you will market your website. If you have a website already and are not getting the traffic you need, you may wish to read “30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget” - http://www.web4business.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
This article can be republished for free as long as the author information and website links are included.
By Ivana Katz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some time ago a distressed client (let’s call him Charlie) called me “I’ve distributed over 20,000 flyers about my business and nobody has bought anything from the website”. My first question to him was “did you check the spelling of your website address on the flyer?”. His response “I didn’t put my website address on the flyer – should I have?” … I didn’t know how to respond.
Shortly after, I got another call from Charlie … but more on that later.
Let’s face it, some people are just not ready to have a website. It seems that many first time entrepreneurs’ idea of starting a business is getting a website. And that’s it! They have no intentions of doing any marketing and if they do have a marketing plan it consists of telling their friends about it and possibly distributing a few brochures in the neighbourhood. Some people go as far as planning to advertise their business/website in the local newspaper. More often than not, they expect that as soon as they have a website, the money will start rolling in. They believe a magic internet fairy will appear and announce the arrival of their website to the world.
The truth is, it doesn’t work that way. With millions of websites popping up on the internet every month, you are competing against a lot of businesses … not only locally, but globally. So please please, before you think about getting a website, decide how you are going to promote it.
If you are about to declare bankrupt in your business and are thinking of putting your last few dollars into getting a website designed, hoping that it will bring you instant cash, don’t do it! A website will not solve your problems unless you are willing to put in some money (and it doesn’t have to be much) or time to promote it.
When I meet potential clients my first two questions are:
“Why do you want a website?” and “How are you going to promote it?”
Depending on their answer I guide them to the best solution. On a few occasions, I’ve had to tell them they were not ready to get their business on the internet.
In fact one client, who was desperate to make money from her website told me that she didn’t have time for marketing, because she needed to start earning money quickly.
On the other hand there have been lots of very successful entrepreneurs who have made their website work for them.
Lisa Pearse-Sargeant of Paper Scissors Rock Kids Group (www.paperscissorsrock.net) says “For the first six months of starting Paper Scissors Rock Kids due to a limited start-up budget we only had a basic web page in a newsletter format. This was until we had a better understanding of the business and direction it would take. Through a combined gathering of information at trade shows and print advertising, we felt ready to invest time and money in a proper website. Now our website has proven to be a cost effective way to showcase our product instead of printing costly catalogues. I believe for my business I need to have a crossover marketing approach ie. target trade & public through a mix of web & print advertising, store presentation/merchandising and trade exhibitions”
Josslyn Harrower of Snugzeez (www.snugzeez.com.au), found she desperately needed a website to showcase her products. “My business had been up and running for 3 months and most of my orders were from word of mouth. An international sleep expert 'Tizzie Hall' was personally recommending my sleep comforters to her clients, and they kept asking to see what the products looked like and what variety was available. My products were not available in stores so the only option was to have a website. It wasn't long before I was being approached by other websites to link their site to mine. This has definitely helped with marketing my products. I receive more hits on my site from Tizzie Hall's website and a few others than advertising in magazines or newspapers. Winning 'Best Product' at Sydney Kidz Expo last year certainly helped to boost my site's exposure."
If you decide to have a website, it is extremely important you take the time to plan it and work out how it will fit in with the rest of your business. The website needs to be functional, rather than just “pretty”. It needs to provide your visitors the information THEY need.
If you don’t know where to start, you can download a free Website Plan by going to: www.web4business.com.au/WebsitePlanRequest.htm
The last time I heard from Charlie, our conversation went something like this:
Charlie: “Ivana, can you please send an email to everybody telling them about my website”.
Me: “Yes of course … just send me your mailing list”
Charlie: “What do you mean mailing list? I don’t have one. I thought you just press a button!”
So please, before you pick up the phone and speak to a website designer, think about how you will market your website. If you have a website already and are not getting the traffic you need, you may wish to read “30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget” - http://www.web4business.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of growing, small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. info@web4business.com.au - http://www.web4business.com.au
This article can be republished for free as long as the author information and website links are included.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
8 Tips for Designing a Great Website
8 Tips for Designing a Great Website
by Ivana Katz
Square buttons, round buttons, flashy buttons, orange, yellow, pink headings … will they match my shoes, my handbag or my tie? Are you stuck in a maze of buttons, headings, bullets, sub-headings and colour schemes? Don’t worry you are not alone.
STOP!!!!
Take a deep breath and read some practical tips for professional looking websites.
1. Select a colour scheme and stick to it.
If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that’s a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them – don’t change colours on every page.
The most common colour schemes include:
- Red, yellow and white
- Blue and white
- Red, grey and white
- Blue, orange and white
- Yellow, grey and white.
If you’re not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like. You can then model your colour scheme on what already exists. Still can’t decide? Why not speak to your family, friends and colleagues to see if they have a preference or if they know of any “good looking” websites.
2. Use templates.
Can’t find a website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many templates or pre-set designs. These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage) or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing templates.
Visit:
www.web4business.com.au/templates1.htm
www.newtemps.com
www.website-templates-resale-rights.com
www.123webtemplatesandmore.com
These templates can be customised to suit your business. Templates are great, as they allow you to see what your website will look like before you spend any money. One suggestion for using templates – if you are planning to add a lot of your own pictures and photos, stick to a neutral, basic website which doesn’t have any graphics. This way your photos will stand out, instead of competing for attention.
3. Provide an easy to use navigation system.
This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it.
Please make sure your navigation bar is on every page, as visitors may not arrive at your website via your homepage. Because most Search Engines index your webpages by their content, one of your secondary pages may rank higher than your homepage. And if you don’t have a navigation bar, your visitors won’t have anywhere else to go.
It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
4. Don’t go overboard on special effects
Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading.
If your website contains special effects that require extra software to be downloaded, you can be sure that 99% of people will not bother and will leave your website immediately.
When including pictures and photos, please ensure they are the smallest possible size so that they download quickly.
5. Backgrounds
Ensure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light.
Stay away from busy backgrounds that distract from the content. White is still the most popular choice for background and it is so for a reason. It looks clean and is easy to read. If you wish to add a little more oomph to your website, add colourful headings or pictures.
6. External Links
It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link.
7. Site Map & Search Feature
If your website is more than 15 pages long, it is useful to have a site map or a “Search” feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they’re looking for. A site map is simply a text index of your website. Search features are available with most web design software, such as. FrontPage. Simply go to: “Insert”, “Component”, “Search Form”.
8. Content is King
While it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion. Don’t spend too much time worrying about whether Betty Jones will like your buttons. She has come to your website for the information, not to criticise your buttons and headings.
If you want a professional website, things to stay away from include:
1. Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes
2. Loads of pop up or pop under boxes
3. Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
4. Hit counters of the free variety, which say “you are 27th visitor”
5. Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly
6. Busy backgrounds.
Once your website has been designed, it’s a good idea to ask your customers or family and friends to go through it and provide you feedback on it. This will give you a chance to see it with a fresh pair of eyes and fix any problems that may exist..
Most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff and get yourself focussed on what to include on the website and the best way to promote it. We will cover these topics in future articles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit www.web4business.com.au or email info@web4business.com.au
by Ivana Katz
Square buttons, round buttons, flashy buttons, orange, yellow, pink headings … will they match my shoes, my handbag or my tie? Are you stuck in a maze of buttons, headings, bullets, sub-headings and colour schemes? Don’t worry you are not alone.
STOP!!!!
Take a deep breath and read some practical tips for professional looking websites.
1. Select a colour scheme and stick to it.
If your company has a logo or preferred colours on its stationery that’s a good start. For those of you starting from scratch, choose two or three complementary colours and stick with them – don’t change colours on every page.
The most common colour schemes include:
- Red, yellow and white
- Blue and white
- Red, grey and white
- Blue, orange and white
- Yellow, grey and white.
If you’re not sure what colour scheme to choose, surf the internet and find a website that you like. You can then model your colour scheme on what already exists. Still can’t decide? Why not speak to your family, friends and colleagues to see if they have a preference or if they know of any “good looking” websites.
2. Use templates.
Can’t find a website you really like? Another option is to choose a template. There are many templates or pre-set designs. These come as part of your web design software (such as FrontPage) or you can check out some websites that specialise in designing templates.
Visit:
www.web4business.com.au/templates1.htm
www.newtemps.com
www.website-templates-resale-rights.com
www.123webtemplatesandmore.com
These templates can be customised to suit your business. Templates are great, as they allow you to see what your website will look like before you spend any money. One suggestion for using templates – if you are planning to add a lot of your own pictures and photos, stick to a neutral, basic website which doesn’t have any graphics. This way your photos will stand out, instead of competing for attention.
3. Provide an easy to use navigation system.
This is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it’s best to stick with it.
Please make sure your navigation bar is on every page, as visitors may not arrive at your website via your homepage. Because most Search Engines index your webpages by their content, one of your secondary pages may rank higher than your homepage. And if you don’t have a navigation bar, your visitors won’t have anywhere else to go.
It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
4. Don’t go overboard on special effects
Whilst it is ok to have one or two special effects to jazz up your website, spinning graphics and logos often distract your visitor from the content, not to mention they can take too long to download. Your visitors may click away even before your spinning logo finishes loading.
If your website contains special effects that require extra software to be downloaded, you can be sure that 99% of people will not bother and will leave your website immediately.
When including pictures and photos, please ensure they are the smallest possible size so that they download quickly.
5. Backgrounds
Ensure your visitors can read the text on the background, ie. no black writing on dark blue background or yellow on white. Also be careful that your links are visible before and after being visited. The default for links in most programs is blue (before being visited) and burgundy (after being visited), so if you have a dark background, ensure your links are light.
Stay away from busy backgrounds that distract from the content. White is still the most popular choice for background and it is so for a reason. It looks clean and is easy to read. If you wish to add a little more oomph to your website, add colourful headings or pictures.
6. External Links
It is a good idea to open links to other websites in a new window. That way your visitors can easily return to your site when they are finished browsing the external link.
7. Site Map & Search Feature
If your website is more than 15 pages long, it is useful to have a site map or a “Search” feature to ensure your visitors can easily find what they’re looking for. A site map is simply a text index of your website. Search features are available with most web design software, such as. FrontPage. Simply go to: “Insert”, “Component”, “Search Form”.
8. Content is King
While it is important that your website looks clean and professional, it is far more important that you concentrate your efforts on the content and promotion. Don’t spend too much time worrying about whether Betty Jones will like your buttons. She has come to your website for the information, not to criticise your buttons and headings.
If you want a professional website, things to stay away from include:
1. Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes
2. Loads of pop up or pop under boxes
3. Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
4. Hit counters of the free variety, which say “you are 27th visitor”
5. Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly
6. Busy backgrounds.
Once your website has been designed, it’s a good idea to ask your customers or family and friends to go through it and provide you feedback on it. This will give you a chance to see it with a fresh pair of eyes and fix any problems that may exist..
Most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff and get yourself focussed on what to include on the website and the best way to promote it. We will cover these topics in future articles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit www.web4business.com.au or email info@web4business.com.au
Saturday, April 22, 2006
How do I get my business on the internet?
How do I get my business on the Internet?
by Ivana Katz
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by small business owners. They are feeling the pressure from their customers and competitors, yet for many business people it is a daunting task, as they don't understand the whole process.
In fact, many people are even asking the question whether they should have a website. Whether you are a consultant, florist, designer, builder, architect or a doctor, consider the many advantages a website provides:
1. Make money – Set up an on-line store or get paid for advertising from other companies
2. Save money on advertising – Instead of paying for large ads, simply advertise your website
3. Be flexible in your message – Change the content as your business changes. No need to re-print expensive brochures.
4. Exposure to new customers – You will reach more local clients as well as interstate and global markets
5. Having more professional image – Keep up with the times and your competitors
6. Save time – Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct customers to your website
7. Keep your business open 24/7 – Provide customers information when THEY need it. If you don’t, someone else will.
So what does it really take to get your website set up?
Step 1 - Register your domain name OR not.
The big question is whether you need to register a domain name or not. The simple answer is NO, but a better answer is YES it is a good idea.
What is a domain name?
The purpose of a domain name is similar to that of a street address or telephone number. The domain name directs customers to you on the Internet. The domain by itself is not your email or web address. The domain does form the base from which these addresses are derived.
For example:
Company Name: Websites 4 Small Business
Domain Name: web4business.com.au
Web Address: www.web4business.com.au
Email Address: sales@web4business.com.au
Do I need to register a domain name to have a website?
NO, you don't need to have your own domain name. Your website can be created and hosted without it. Your website address will look something like this:
www.web4business.com.au/JBCleaning
OR
www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning
The only advantage of not registering a domain name is that you will save yourself A$70 per year (it costs approx A$140 for 2 years to register a '.com.au' domain name).
The disadvantages of NOT having your domain name include:
1. If you decide to change your Webhosting company or if that company goes out of business, you will lose your website address. Your website can be transferred to a new company, but your address will change. And that means re-printing stationery and re-doing all your advertising, notifying all your customers etc.
2. Website addresses that contain information other than your company name are long and hard to remember and do not appear as professional. Compare these two and see which one you are more likely to remember:
www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning
OR
www.JBCleaning.com.au
So it is a good idea to register a domain name, even if it is just to protect yourself for the future. Say for example, your business name is JB Cleaning and you decide not to register your domain name for now.
Along comes Joe Bloggs who opens his own cleaning business and registers JBCleaning.com.au domain name. After a year you decide you want to have your own domain name, but since Joe Bloggs already owns it, you won't be able to register it. Not to mention your customers who know your business as JB Cleaning may visit his website, thinking it's your web address and instead hire Joe Bloggs Cleaning.
Step 2 - Plan your website.
Planning your website is a two part process:
(a) Decide on the website design (colour schemes, buttons, special effects etc). This is your website designer's job. However, you may have a preference for a certain colour or look. To help you choose a design, you may wish to check out other people's websites or work with your web designer's pre-set templates.
(b) The content. There are many items you may wish to include on your website. The most common ones include:
1 Product/Service Details
2. Contact Information
3. Pricing
4. Testimonials
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Response Form, such as "Join Mailing List"
7. On-line Magazine or Newsletter
8. Resources & Articles
9. Guarantee
10. Survey
11. Events Calender
12. Search My Website Form
13. Refund Policy
14. Privacy Policy
15. About Us Information
16. Site Map
17. Copyright information
18. Useful Links
19. Media Information
20. On-line store
21. News
22. Directions to Your Bricks & Mortar Premises
Step 3 - Choose a Web Hosting Company.
What is a Web hosting Company?
A Web host is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office. You can build your own building and you can host your own website, but because of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the space.
Which Company Should I Choose?
Web hosting companies are not created equal so you need to take a number of things into account when selecting one. A proven track record, experience and reliability form the foundation of any successful business partnership.
Some of the issues you should consider when choosing a webhosting company include:
1. Support - Does it provide comprehensive Technical Support - 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
2. Reliability - Does it have multiple large-scale links to the internet to provide a fail-safe path to your customers from anywhere in the world?
3. Security - Does it have a robust security system that minimises risk of web site intrusion?
4. State-of-the-art - Does the company utilises leading edge technology and is supported by a large-scale uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.
5. Scalability - Does the product range and services offered allow your business to grow without impediment by making it easy to upgrade and add components to existing product levels.
Step 4 - Getting people to your site.
The marketing of your website is important if you want to draw visitors to your site. If you don't promote your website no-one will ever see it. There are a number of different ways of advertising your website. The best strategy is one, which integrates your existing promotion methods with your website.
1. Office Stationery - Including your web address and email address on your stationery is probably the easiest way to draw attention to your site. It's cost effective and gets your Internet presence out there in the market place.
2. Business Cards - When printing business cards you should include the individual's email address and main address of your website.
3. Radio Advertising
Radio Advertising should include your web address. Don't include the http://, try "Visit us on the internet at w-w-w-dot-qikphone-dot-com-dot-au". If your budget is limited, you may wish to consider community radios.
4. Email and Mail-Outs
Let your current customers know the details of your website. You can either send them an email or a letter/postcard. Keep your website's content up-to-date and they will keep coming back!
5. Print Media
Print advertising should include a generic email address for the company and include your website address. Normally positioned at the bottom right or bottom centre of your advertisement.
6. Search Engines & DirectoriesPeople looking for your website who don't know the URL are most likely to use an on-line search engine to look for your organisation or the kind of products and services you offer. There are over 300 major search engines and directories, but you should concentrate on the larger, more commonly used ones. These include: Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Anzwers, Inktomi, Infoseek, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, MSN, Dogpile, AllTheWeb etc.
7. Links from other websites
A good way to attract visitors to your site is through the use of hyperlinks placed on other sites. If you know of another site which has a list of links and you think your website would be a good addition, let the website owner know. You might also offer to provide a link from your site back to the other site. This will encourage the webmaster to include your site. You should also seek out partners for trading links including vendors, suppliers and providers of complimentary products.
8. Link Exchange
Another way to getting a link is through a system called Link Exchange, a free public service designed to help websites advertise each other. With Link Exchange, you agree to display advertising banners for other Link Exchange members and they agree to display banners for you. The System is automatic, you simply add a piece of HTML code to your web page and Link Exchange will display an advertisement for another website. The disadvantage with Link Exchange is that you don't get any control as to where your banner ad appears or the type of banner ads that will appear on your website. It is not possible to guarantee that a competitor of yours may have their banner ad displayed on your site.
9. Paid Banner Advertising/Affiliate Marketing Programs
Various sites give you the opportunity to purchase banner advertising on their site. Some sites will charge you a flat monthly fee while other sites will charge you based on the number of people who see your ad.
Step 5 - Monitor your site's statistics
Your website's statistics should show who visits your website, where in the world they come from, how they are finding your site and what pages are being viewed. Knowing your customers is the first step in effective marketing. Most webhosting companies will provide access to this information free of charge.
Step 6 - Maintaining your website
It is important to update your website regularly to keep your customers interested. One of the great advantages of having a website is that you can change its content virtually overnight at minimal cost (unlike re-printing brochures and flyers).
This is just a brief overview of the process involved in getting your website up and running. In future articles we will cover each step in more detail.
--------------------------------------
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit www.web4business.com.au or email info@web4business.com.au. To subscribe to Web4Business Ezine, send email to web4business@getresponse.com. To download free Website plan go to: www.web4business.com.au/WebsitePlanRequest.htm
by Ivana Katz
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by small business owners. They are feeling the pressure from their customers and competitors, yet for many business people it is a daunting task, as they don't understand the whole process.
In fact, many people are even asking the question whether they should have a website. Whether you are a consultant, florist, designer, builder, architect or a doctor, consider the many advantages a website provides:
1. Make money – Set up an on-line store or get paid for advertising from other companies
2. Save money on advertising – Instead of paying for large ads, simply advertise your website
3. Be flexible in your message – Change the content as your business changes. No need to re-print expensive brochures.
4. Exposure to new customers – You will reach more local clients as well as interstate and global markets
5. Having more professional image – Keep up with the times and your competitors
6. Save time – Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct customers to your website
7. Keep your business open 24/7 – Provide customers information when THEY need it. If you don’t, someone else will.
So what does it really take to get your website set up?
Step 1 - Register your domain name OR not.
The big question is whether you need to register a domain name or not. The simple answer is NO, but a better answer is YES it is a good idea.
What is a domain name?
The purpose of a domain name is similar to that of a street address or telephone number. The domain name directs customers to you on the Internet. The domain by itself is not your email or web address. The domain does form the base from which these addresses are derived.
For example:
Company Name: Websites 4 Small Business
Domain Name: web4business.com.au
Web Address: www.web4business.com.au
Email Address: sales@web4business.com.au
Do I need to register a domain name to have a website?
NO, you don't need to have your own domain name. Your website can be created and hosted without it. Your website address will look something like this:
www.web4business.com.au/JBCleaning
OR
www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning
The only advantage of not registering a domain name is that you will save yourself A$70 per year (it costs approx A$140 for 2 years to register a '.com.au' domain name).
The disadvantages of NOT having your domain name include:
1. If you decide to change your Webhosting company or if that company goes out of business, you will lose your website address. Your website can be transferred to a new company, but your address will change. And that means re-printing stationery and re-doing all your advertising, notifying all your customers etc.
2. Website addresses that contain information other than your company name are long and hard to remember and do not appear as professional. Compare these two and see which one you are more likely to remember:
www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning
OR
www.JBCleaning.com.au
So it is a good idea to register a domain name, even if it is just to protect yourself for the future. Say for example, your business name is JB Cleaning and you decide not to register your domain name for now.
Along comes Joe Bloggs who opens his own cleaning business and registers JBCleaning.com.au domain name. After a year you decide you want to have your own domain name, but since Joe Bloggs already owns it, you won't be able to register it. Not to mention your customers who know your business as JB Cleaning may visit his website, thinking it's your web address and instead hire Joe Bloggs Cleaning.
Step 2 - Plan your website.
Planning your website is a two part process:
(a) Decide on the website design (colour schemes, buttons, special effects etc). This is your website designer's job. However, you may have a preference for a certain colour or look. To help you choose a design, you may wish to check out other people's websites or work with your web designer's pre-set templates.
(b) The content. There are many items you may wish to include on your website. The most common ones include:
1 Product/Service Details
2. Contact Information
3. Pricing
4. Testimonials
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Response Form, such as "Join Mailing List"
7. On-line Magazine or Newsletter
8. Resources & Articles
9. Guarantee
10. Survey
11. Events Calender
12. Search My Website Form
13. Refund Policy
14. Privacy Policy
15. About Us Information
16. Site Map
17. Copyright information
18. Useful Links
19. Media Information
20. On-line store
21. News
22. Directions to Your Bricks & Mortar Premises
Step 3 - Choose a Web Hosting Company.
What is a Web hosting Company?
A Web host is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office. You can build your own building and you can host your own website, but because of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the space.
Which Company Should I Choose?
Web hosting companies are not created equal so you need to take a number of things into account when selecting one. A proven track record, experience and reliability form the foundation of any successful business partnership.
Some of the issues you should consider when choosing a webhosting company include:
1. Support - Does it provide comprehensive Technical Support - 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
2. Reliability - Does it have multiple large-scale links to the internet to provide a fail-safe path to your customers from anywhere in the world?
3. Security - Does it have a robust security system that minimises risk of web site intrusion?
4. State-of-the-art - Does the company utilises leading edge technology and is supported by a large-scale uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.
5. Scalability - Does the product range and services offered allow your business to grow without impediment by making it easy to upgrade and add components to existing product levels.
Step 4 - Getting people to your site.
The marketing of your website is important if you want to draw visitors to your site. If you don't promote your website no-one will ever see it. There are a number of different ways of advertising your website. The best strategy is one, which integrates your existing promotion methods with your website.
1. Office Stationery - Including your web address and email address on your stationery is probably the easiest way to draw attention to your site. It's cost effective and gets your Internet presence out there in the market place.
2. Business Cards - When printing business cards you should include the individual's email address and main address of your website.
3. Radio Advertising
Radio Advertising should include your web address. Don't include the http://, try "Visit us on the internet at w-w-w-dot-qikphone-dot-com-dot-au". If your budget is limited, you may wish to consider community radios.
4. Email and Mail-Outs
Let your current customers know the details of your website. You can either send them an email or a letter/postcard. Keep your website's content up-to-date and they will keep coming back!
5. Print Media
Print advertising should include a generic email address for the company and include your website address. Normally positioned at the bottom right or bottom centre of your advertisement.
6. Search Engines & DirectoriesPeople looking for your website who don't know the URL are most likely to use an on-line search engine to look for your organisation or the kind of products and services you offer. There are over 300 major search engines and directories, but you should concentrate on the larger, more commonly used ones. These include: Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Anzwers, Inktomi, Infoseek, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, MSN, Dogpile, AllTheWeb etc.
7. Links from other websites
A good way to attract visitors to your site is through the use of hyperlinks placed on other sites. If you know of another site which has a list of links and you think your website would be a good addition, let the website owner know. You might also offer to provide a link from your site back to the other site. This will encourage the webmaster to include your site. You should also seek out partners for trading links including vendors, suppliers and providers of complimentary products.
8. Link Exchange
Another way to getting a link is through a system called Link Exchange, a free public service designed to help websites advertise each other. With Link Exchange, you agree to display advertising banners for other Link Exchange members and they agree to display banners for you. The System is automatic, you simply add a piece of HTML code to your web page and Link Exchange will display an advertisement for another website. The disadvantage with Link Exchange is that you don't get any control as to where your banner ad appears or the type of banner ads that will appear on your website. It is not possible to guarantee that a competitor of yours may have their banner ad displayed on your site.
9. Paid Banner Advertising/Affiliate Marketing Programs
Various sites give you the opportunity to purchase banner advertising on their site. Some sites will charge you a flat monthly fee while other sites will charge you based on the number of people who see your ad.
Step 5 - Monitor your site's statistics
Your website's statistics should show who visits your website, where in the world they come from, how they are finding your site and what pages are being viewed. Knowing your customers is the first step in effective marketing. Most webhosting companies will provide access to this information free of charge.
Step 6 - Maintaining your website
It is important to update your website regularly to keep your customers interested. One of the great advantages of having a website is that you can change its content virtually overnight at minimal cost (unlike re-printing brochures and flyers).
This is just a brief overview of the process involved in getting your website up and running. In future articles we will cover each step in more detail.
--------------------------------------
Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and home-based business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit www.web4business.com.au or email info@web4business.com.au. To subscribe to Web4Business Ezine, send email to web4business@getresponse.com. To download free Website plan go to: www.web4business.com.au/WebsitePlanRequest.htm
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