As
the old saying goes – you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
That statement is especially true when referring to a business Web site.
Customers – whether down the street, in the next county, state or region, or
halfway across the globe – increasingly are looking for dependable suppliers of
both goods and services, and there is no shortage of sites from which to
choose. Broken links, spelling and grammatical errors, html errors, annoying
flashing graphics or pop-ups actually can drive visitors away as quickly as
they came. Do your Web content, layout and page links come across as
professional and say the things you want about your business? Do too many bells
and whistles essentially dilute your main message? Business owners and
entrepreneurs should perform periodic Web site maintenance to their sites to
ensure that they continue to come off professionally, and that their sites work
hand-in-hand with furthering their businesses.
When evaluating your company’s Web site, five important things to
check:
- design quality
- page consistency
- ease of navigation
- site activity
- credibility
Design quality – Because design quality can be subjective, a good
recommendation is to cater your site to your industry and customers’ tastes.
For example, if you are marketing to residential property owners, your Web site
probably should have a “homier” feel to it than if your customers are
engineers. Different groups speak different languages – speak to your audience.
Maintain your firm’s branding band image by using your logo and including
visuals that support the imagery that you want associated with your
business.
Page consistency – The Web can be a frightening place. When you click on a link
on a Web page, it can take you almost anywhere. When your customers click on
links within your site, add to their comfort level by making it clear that they
still are on your site. The number one way to do this is to have a consistent
page template by using the same colors, style and placement of elements of each
page. Color is important. We make associations based upon color all the time.
Keep it consistent or have a good reason why you are changing them from page to
page. A rainbow of color can be overwhelming. Stick to one style – organic or
linear. Organic elements use soft curves that flow together; linear elements
are straight with sharp angles. Either must be appropriate for your business,
but pick one and stick to it. Keep a consistent page template. Site visitors
expect the structural elements to stay in place. When a customer visits your
site, they become oriented to the site structure, and expect the elements
(navigation, logo, page headers, etc.) in the same place on every
page.
Site navigation – This is a very important aspect of a professional-looking Web
site. If your customers cannot easily find what they are looking for, they
quickly will look elsewhere (your competi tors). Ensure that you have a
distinct navigation bar positioned either along the left-hand side of the page,
along the top, or combination of both. Organize your content in as few
categories as possible, and use a table of contents page that enables a
customer to click each category and see a description of the category and links
to subcategories with more detailed information. Proper organization of the
subcategories allows you to add or delete topics without having to redo the
navigation bar each time.
Keep it fresh – A stale Web site makes the rest of your business look stale.
This does not mean you constantly have to change the design of your Web site.
Does your site list an upcoming event from 2006? Is an expired promotion still
there? Simply make sure that outdated items are removed.
Credibility – There are many factors that can contribute to – or take away from
– your trustworthiness online. Broken images, disconnected links, misleading
site navigation and the like can harm your reputation. Visit your site
regularly to ensure everything is displaying properly and that all content is
current. Make yourself available; it instills confidence in your customers.
Your contact information – telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and physical
address – should be prominently displayed. Place some customer testimonials on
your site.
Take a look at your site again. Chances are you already are doing most of these
things. If you can look at your site and say you are doing everything right, congratulations.
If not, take note of what you’d like to do better and consult an expert about
implementing these principles. The changes will not cost a lot of money, but
the results might produce some.
ND
