Ideas for your Business Website
As we embark upon the year 2010, most business owners have realized or are beginning to realize that the Internet is not going away and that having a website address is as common and as expected as having a phone number or a business card. Many businesses have already gone through several websites over the years, hopefully becoming more improved each time as new technologies become available.
Many business owners fall into the category of not understanding "why" they need a website other than "because it is expected" when they make the decision to hire a web designer. They fail to understand how a website can help them better market their products and services. They fail to understand how a website can help them improve their customer service initiatives. They fail to understand how their website can enhance their current marketing efforts. Unfortunately, unless you are able to find a web designer with Internet marketing experience and a desire to help your business succeed, this lack of knowledge is going to translate into lost opportunities and wasted dollars.
In order to be effective, your website needs to become a priority in your marketing plan and should be viewed as an investment into your business, whether in time or money or both. Besides the obvious, here are some ideas you may want to consider for your business website:
Content - The content on your website needs to be timely and relevant in order to be effective. Both your visitors and the search engines are visiting your website searching for content. It is up to you and your web designer to figure out what it is that they seek. Depending upon what business you are in, it may make sense for you to have a website with pages and pages of content. Often, the more expensive your products or services, the more information your visitor will need before they make the decision to call you. Keyword-rich search engine optimized (SEO) content is necessary in order to help you achieve higher rankings in the search engines, a necessity if you are selling a product or service to a larger geographic area. Riana Milne is an example of a larger website with lots of keyword-rich content.
Menus - If you are a restaurant owner, you must have your menus, or at least a pretty good sampling of what’s on your menus, on your website. Why? Because there are basically only two reasons that a visitor is going to look at your website - to find out what your hours are and to look at your menu. So, you need to have your hours posted and your menu available. Period. If you offer take-out, you need your phone number front and center as well. Here are some examples: Dawns Deli, Papa Luigis Ristorante, Sweet Tomatoes Cafe, Wagon Wheel Restaurant.
MLS Listings - If you are a Realtor, having the ability to allow your visitors to search the MLS Listings while on your website will ensure that YOU get the leads when they request more information. Here are examples: Enzo Savarese Realty, Dawn Rapa, Warner Realtors & Auction Company
Monthly Specials and/or Coupons - Offering monthly specials or coupons is a great way to get your existing customers to return each month or to get new customers to come to try your services or to visit your retail shop. Owner Diane D’Acqua of The Scarecrow Factory told me that she has numerous new out of state customers stop in with coupons printed from her website. The goal here is to convert online browsers to in-store buyers! Our website, The Women of Salem County, has an entire section filled with coupons for shopping in Salem County, the MARKETPLACE.
News & Newsletters - Your website is the perfect vehicle for distributing information to your clients, potential clients, etc. in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible. Henry D. Young Insurance offers a vast wealth of information on a variety of personal and business insurance topics while the Academy of Performing Arts Dance Studio has their monthly newsletter online to save paper and make it easier to distribute to the parents. Websketching (that’s us) has a press room for press releases as well as newsletters to help establish us as experts in our field.
On-line Stores - If you sell a product (or offer memberships), then you might want to consider selling it online! Jackie M’s sells cheesecakes online, Dr. Magaziner sells supplements, NJ State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs sells memberships, Auburn Road Vineyards sells wine (through Hops & Grapes).
Photo Gallery/Slideshows/Videos/Media Center - Your website is the perfect place for sharing photos and video, if appropriate. Although I don’t recommend it in every case, Cowtown Rodeo was the perfect example of a website that needed a videos and Tara LaRosa absolutely needed a media center - in fact, she really needs an entire section rather than just a page. Slideshows are the best way to show a large number of photos, showing the thumbnails on the page and allowing the viewer to click to view. Here is an example from our NJ Wedding Photographer website.
Portfolio - If you are an artist, an interior designer, etc., you may have a portfolio of work to showcase. Artist Lori Levin of Soulful Studios Pet Portraits has a terrific gallery of work for review. Jolene Petrowski of Inspired by Design shows before and after photos of her interior design work. If you are a photographer, you will want to showcase your best work as my partner did with his Jersey Shore Wedding Photographer website.
Sign-up for Mailing List - Allowing your visitors to sign-up to receive emails from you is a great way to grow your database for current and future marketing campaigns. Auburn Road Vineyards collects email addresses both on and offline and has Websketching send out their weekly e-Newsletter to announce "What’s for Dinner Friday?" Scott Donnini, owner of Auburn Road told me that on Thursday, right before the newsletter goes out, they usually have about two reservations each week... once the newsletter goes out, the phone starts ringing.
Testimonials - People like to buy from other people - they want to know that someone else tried it first and liked it. You don’t necessarily need a whole page of testimonials, but you definitely want to pepper some throughout your site. Check out http://www.warnerrealtors.com/ for a nice example - as you click through the site, the testimonial at the top changes.
Ok, for those of you who want to know what the obvious are... Home, About Us, Products/Services, Hours, Directions, Contact Us...
About Websketching
Websketching is a web development company offering a full range of website design, development and marketing services. Websketching specializes in creating custom website designs that can be equipped with their proprietary content management system, as well as the development of online website directories aimed at promoting tourism. Websketching is the creator of http://www.salemcountywoman.com/. For more information, please visit http://www.websketching.com/ or call 856-769-5600.
Many business owners fall into the category of not understanding "why" they need a website other than "because it is expected" when they make the decision to hire a web designer. They fail to understand how a website can help them better market their products and services. They fail to understand how a website can help them improve their customer service initiatives. They fail to understand how their website can enhance their current marketing efforts. Unfortunately, unless you are able to find a web designer with Internet marketing experience and a desire to help your business succeed, this lack of knowledge is going to translate into lost opportunities and wasted dollars.
In order to be effective, your website needs to become a priority in your marketing plan and should be viewed as an investment into your business, whether in time or money or both. Besides the obvious, here are some ideas you may want to consider for your business website:
Content - The content on your website needs to be timely and relevant in order to be effective. Both your visitors and the search engines are visiting your website searching for content. It is up to you and your web designer to figure out what it is that they seek. Depending upon what business you are in, it may make sense for you to have a website with pages and pages of content. Often, the more expensive your products or services, the more information your visitor will need before they make the decision to call you. Keyword-rich search engine optimized (SEO) content is necessary in order to help you achieve higher rankings in the search engines, a necessity if you are selling a product or service to a larger geographic area. Riana Milne is an example of a larger website with lots of keyword-rich content.
Menus - If you are a restaurant owner, you must have your menus, or at least a pretty good sampling of what’s on your menus, on your website. Why? Because there are basically only two reasons that a visitor is going to look at your website - to find out what your hours are and to look at your menu. So, you need to have your hours posted and your menu available. Period. If you offer take-out, you need your phone number front and center as well. Here are some examples: Dawns Deli, Papa Luigis Ristorante, Sweet Tomatoes Cafe, Wagon Wheel Restaurant.
MLS Listings - If you are a Realtor, having the ability to allow your visitors to search the MLS Listings while on your website will ensure that YOU get the leads when they request more information. Here are examples: Enzo Savarese Realty, Dawn Rapa, Warner Realtors & Auction Company
Monthly Specials and/or Coupons - Offering monthly specials or coupons is a great way to get your existing customers to return each month or to get new customers to come to try your services or to visit your retail shop. Owner Diane D’Acqua of The Scarecrow Factory told me that she has numerous new out of state customers stop in with coupons printed from her website. The goal here is to convert online browsers to in-store buyers! Our website, The Women of Salem County, has an entire section filled with coupons for shopping in Salem County, the MARKETPLACE.
News & Newsletters - Your website is the perfect vehicle for distributing information to your clients, potential clients, etc. in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible. Henry D. Young Insurance offers a vast wealth of information on a variety of personal and business insurance topics while the Academy of Performing Arts Dance Studio has their monthly newsletter online to save paper and make it easier to distribute to the parents. Websketching (that’s us) has a press room for press releases as well as newsletters to help establish us as experts in our field.
On-line Stores - If you sell a product (or offer memberships), then you might want to consider selling it online! Jackie M’s sells cheesecakes online, Dr. Magaziner sells supplements, NJ State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs sells memberships, Auburn Road Vineyards sells wine (through Hops & Grapes).
Photo Gallery/Slideshows/Videos/Media Center - Your website is the perfect place for sharing photos and video, if appropriate. Although I don’t recommend it in every case, Cowtown Rodeo was the perfect example of a website that needed a videos and Tara LaRosa absolutely needed a media center - in fact, she really needs an entire section rather than just a page. Slideshows are the best way to show a large number of photos, showing the thumbnails on the page and allowing the viewer to click to view. Here is an example from our NJ Wedding Photographer website.
Portfolio - If you are an artist, an interior designer, etc., you may have a portfolio of work to showcase. Artist Lori Levin of Soulful Studios Pet Portraits has a terrific gallery of work for review. Jolene Petrowski of Inspired by Design shows before and after photos of her interior design work. If you are a photographer, you will want to showcase your best work as my partner did with his Jersey Shore Wedding Photographer website.
Sign-up for Mailing List - Allowing your visitors to sign-up to receive emails from you is a great way to grow your database for current and future marketing campaigns. Auburn Road Vineyards collects email addresses both on and offline and has Websketching send out their weekly e-Newsletter to announce "What’s for Dinner Friday?" Scott Donnini, owner of Auburn Road told me that on Thursday, right before the newsletter goes out, they usually have about two reservations each week... once the newsletter goes out, the phone starts ringing.
Testimonials - People like to buy from other people - they want to know that someone else tried it first and liked it. You don’t necessarily need a whole page of testimonials, but you definitely want to pepper some throughout your site. Check out http://www.warnerrealtors.com/ for a nice example - as you click through the site, the testimonial at the top changes.
Ok, for those of you who want to know what the obvious are... Home, About Us, Products/Services, Hours, Directions, Contact Us...
About Websketching
Websketching is a web development company offering a full range of website design, development and marketing services. Websketching specializes in creating custom website designs that can be equipped with their proprietary content management system, as well as the development of online website directories aimed at promoting tourism. Websketching is the creator of http://www.salemcountywoman.com/. For more information, please visit http://www.websketching.com/ or call 856-769-5600.
Labels: Internet marketing, search engine optimization, SEO, web designer, website content ideas
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