<< Back to articles
( Article first published in August '10. It has been modified slightly to suit its publication on our site)
I heard a horror story this week, but one that I have heard before. I met with a couple who ran their own business and had spent €10,000 on 3 different websites with 3 different web design companies. Each time believing that the new site was going to make the difference and get the phones ringing.
Despite having heard similar stories before, I was still shocked. €10,000 is a lot of money, especially in recessionary times. So how did they get into this mess? Were they rash or stupid? No, in fact they were very smart and shrewd individuals. The reality was they simply didn't know what they were buying and what they needed and so ended up with 3 lemons!
This article is therefore an informative explanation of the 5 key elements that will make up a successful website/web strategy and simultaneously a cautionary note to everyone to learn enough about what a website is to avoid the same thing happening to them!
So here are the five elements of a successful website:
1) Web Design
Over time the term "web design" has come to mean the process of delivering a website. However in real terms it is only the first element of five. Real web design is simply the process of designing how the website will look; from the menu to the colours and overall design layout a web designer simply makes a website look good.
Good web design is a given and your web designer should clearly guide you through the process of identifying your needs, but it is extremely helpful to have reviewed various other sites to determine what you like and don't like in them.
2) Web Content
The content of a website is critical to its success. It's not just the words themselves (although that is important), but the structure of the pages and how many you need. Is it better to have a single page that summarises all your services/products or individual pages for each service/product? That decision will be based on your budget and specific needs, but your website provider should help you make that decision.
3) Website Visibility
How visible your website is will be based on a process called SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). This process makes your site more visible by matching key aspects of its code and content to specific key phrases typed into search engines. In turn this causes your site to be ranked higher with the aim of having it ranked on page 1 of search results (and as high as possible on that page) for as many relevant search phrases as possible.
Good SEO is not cheap and can cost as much or more than the website cost itself and whether you need it depends on your expectations of the website and how you promote your business otherwise. If you spend a lot of print advertising, leaflets and sales campaigns or on online advertising, then you may not need to spend so much on SEO, whereas if you want your website to bring in a lot of new business on its own without significant ongoing costs, then SEO is a great option - budget permitting.
4) Website Promotion
You need to consider if and how you are going to promote your website. This can be done through offline promotional methods, such as newspaper ads or through online advertising, such as Google's Adwords system. You can see a number of articles on Adwords Here. Either way you are essentially using continuous small expenditure to bring people to your website.
Unless you spend a great deal of time learning about Google Adwords DO NOT setup the account yourself. You will only waste a lot of money. The amount you will spend on having a professional implement it for you will pay for itself in the first month.
5) Website Functionality
Your website may require some form of specific functionality. The simplest form of this is a dynamic contact form that captures enquiries and sends them to you in an email. You may need special image galleries or perhaps some very advanced elements such as loan repayment calculators or e-commerce payment systems.
Whatever you need, think very carefully about what it is and how you want it implemented and make sure the company you are talking to can deliver it.
Summary
In every case, you need to think about all 5 of these elements and how they fit into your needs and budget. Ask your web design company to show examples of work they have done in each area.
Finally, make sure you understand them. If they can't explain their plans for your website and how it's going to help your business in simple terms, you need to think hard about whether you will use them. They may not understand all the elements themselves or they may find it hard to deal with "lay-people" and this difficulty will rear its head throughout the project.
Franco De Bonis has worked in the field of sales and marketing promotion since 1990 and was most recently the global marketing manager for a major international technology company before setting up The DG Group in January 2007.
The DG Group is dedicated to delivering all the marketing solutions any company may require. Whether it's a website or leaflets and brochures, or even some product packaging; The DG Group will manage the whole project and even provide guidance along the way.
The content in this section is the original creation of The DG Group and is protected by copyright. You may use this content on your site or in other materials providing you acknowledge The DG Group as the author and include a link to our site.
|
