Your Web Site as a Valued Business Tool
| Category: Website Design and Development | Date: 2003-10-05 |
Having been doing web design for several years now and since starting Web-Net Solutions, I have come to understand that web sites can be very valuable tools to help you conduct business more efficiently. In working with our clients, we have tried to create sites that are exactly that -- valuable business tools.
Sure, given unlimited funds and time, all of our sites (ours included) could do MORE. However, since both time and money are, indeed, limited, here are some ideas that may help you better use your web site to support your business.
-- First of all, take a review of your current web site (if you have one -- if NOT.... well I know a little company that might be able to help you out....). In the early stages of site development, you were asked to identify your target visitors and to identify what you wanted to happen when they visit. Make sure your site still satisfies your desires for these two things. However, if your site was originally designed for current customers, perhaps you may want to add features geared for prospective customers.
In contrast, the Web-Net Solutions site was originally designed to inform prospective customers about our company with the hope to attract new clients. In fact, it has been successful at that task. However, as our client list continues to grow, we felt like it was time to add features to our site that may help us better meet the needs of our existing clients. In response, we have added a "Client Resources" section to our web site. This section will continue to be developed to make access to our products and services more convenient for our clients.
-- With a review of current site complete and finding it satisfactory for your needs, the next action you should take is to find ways to use the web site to enhance your day to day operations. Be familiar enough with the site that you can say to a customer on the phone, "Oh, yes, we have just such a table. In fact, there is one pictured on our web site. Go to http://www.yoursite.com and click on the ....." Using your web site to let prospective customers see your products will make it more valuable to you. Imagine if you wanted to buy a new puppy and could look at pictures while talking to the breeder at the same time. You could better decide if you wanted to make the drive if you could see the goods first. The same is true of the products you offer. If certain products generate a great deal of interest, it is a good idea to have them represented on your web site.
-- Make sure the prospective customers you meet at trade shows and otherwise can find your site. Have its address printed on your business cards and other ads. My brother, Mike Snodgrass of Retro Rock-it (http://www.retrorock-it.com) just came back from a trade show a couple weeks ago. While there, he passed out business cards with the web address on it. In the past couple weeks his hit count has been closer to 300 per week than to the typical 200 per week. I suspect, in part, it is due to people he met at the trade show getting home and checking out his site.
-- Other prospective customers can be reached via your web site too -- customers you never meet until they have decided to contact you. A recent report I received stated that over 80% of all people begin searching the internet with a search engine. I have discussed this topic some in the past. While there is no magic and free way to get listed in the search engines, the truth is, unless you do something, your site will not be indexed. When your site was built, Web-Net Solutions submitted it to over a dozen search engines. Since then, as we submit our site periodically, your site gets included in the index because it is linked off of our site.
Current "wisdom" however, recommends that a site be re-submitted about once a month. I have put a link on the Client Resources section to a page full of submission URLs. If you want to submit your site, go to that page and start clicking away. It takes me a little more than an hour to submit one site to all the pages listed there. I dare say it will take you a good bit longer.... My experience and RoadRunner cut my time down considerably. You may also want to consider some of the "meta submit" sites at the bottom. One is free -- AddMe.com. It also takes me about an hour to use this, but it submits to 30 different search engines. None of these processes are very hard, but they ARE tedious and rather boring.
The pay to submit sites also look good....
Now, if you are too busy to take out a couple hours to have your site submitted, Web Net Solutions will be happy to provide the service for you on an on-going basis. Call your account representative to discuss details.
-- Another means by which your web site can be valuable to your business is as a tool for internal communications. The RandstadCOE (center of excellence) site is designed exclusively for internal communications. Beyond the initial page, passwords are needed to access the forms and productivity tools that the site offers Randstad team members. This is a perfect example of a site working WITHIN your business. (Too bad you dont have the password so you can see what they are doing. You will just have to take my word for it...) If you have forms, brochures, or such that you would like to be able to access from any computer with internet access, consider expanding your site to provide these for you. Infact, we have a "virtual office" section of our site that allows us to access forms we may need for service calls, or new business. Literally, almost anything you may need when calling on clients, traveling to trade shows, or otherwise can be made accessible via a web page.
I have come to believe that a company in the 21st century without a web site is operating without making use of POWERFUL tools. A web site can meet the needs of prospective customers, current customers, and staff. Take time to consider ways you can get more from your current web site.
Next time, Ill discuss other features of the internet that may improve business -- e-mail and newsgroups. Till then.....
About the Author
Bill Snodgrass is a partner in Web-Net Solutions, a company dedicated to helping businesses get the most from technology. His primary contribution is in the area of web site design and engineering. Web-Net Solutions offers small to medium businesses the chance to access top level technical support, state of the art web design, and customized programming without the need to hire full time technical personnel.
snodgrass@web-net-solutions.com
http://www.web-net-solutions.com
Sure, given unlimited funds and time, all of our sites (ours included) could do MORE. However, since both time and money are, indeed, limited, here are some ideas that may help you better use your web site to support your business.
-- First of all, take a review of your current web site (if you have one -- if NOT.... well I know a little company that might be able to help you out....). In the early stages of site development, you were asked to identify your target visitors and to identify what you wanted to happen when they visit. Make sure your site still satisfies your desires for these two things. However, if your site was originally designed for current customers, perhaps you may want to add features geared for prospective customers.
In contrast, the Web-Net Solutions site was originally designed to inform prospective customers about our company with the hope to attract new clients. In fact, it has been successful at that task. However, as our client list continues to grow, we felt like it was time to add features to our site that may help us better meet the needs of our existing clients. In response, we have added a "Client Resources" section to our web site. This section will continue to be developed to make access to our products and services more convenient for our clients.
-- With a review of current site complete and finding it satisfactory for your needs, the next action you should take is to find ways to use the web site to enhance your day to day operations. Be familiar enough with the site that you can say to a customer on the phone, "Oh, yes, we have just such a table. In fact, there is one pictured on our web site. Go to http://www.yoursite.com and click on the ....." Using your web site to let prospective customers see your products will make it more valuable to you. Imagine if you wanted to buy a new puppy and could look at pictures while talking to the breeder at the same time. You could better decide if you wanted to make the drive if you could see the goods first. The same is true of the products you offer. If certain products generate a great deal of interest, it is a good idea to have them represented on your web site.
-- Make sure the prospective customers you meet at trade shows and otherwise can find your site. Have its address printed on your business cards and other ads. My brother, Mike Snodgrass of Retro Rock-it (http://www.retrorock-it.com) just came back from a trade show a couple weeks ago. While there, he passed out business cards with the web address on it. In the past couple weeks his hit count has been closer to 300 per week than to the typical 200 per week. I suspect, in part, it is due to people he met at the trade show getting home and checking out his site.
-- Other prospective customers can be reached via your web site too -- customers you never meet until they have decided to contact you. A recent report I received stated that over 80% of all people begin searching the internet with a search engine. I have discussed this topic some in the past. While there is no magic and free way to get listed in the search engines, the truth is, unless you do something, your site will not be indexed. When your site was built, Web-Net Solutions submitted it to over a dozen search engines. Since then, as we submit our site periodically, your site gets included in the index because it is linked off of our site.
Current "wisdom" however, recommends that a site be re-submitted about once a month. I have put a link on the Client Resources section to a page full of submission URLs. If you want to submit your site, go to that page and start clicking away. It takes me a little more than an hour to submit one site to all the pages listed there. I dare say it will take you a good bit longer.... My experience and RoadRunner cut my time down considerably. You may also want to consider some of the "meta submit" sites at the bottom. One is free -- AddMe.com. It also takes me about an hour to use this, but it submits to 30 different search engines. None of these processes are very hard, but they ARE tedious and rather boring.
The pay to submit sites also look good....
Now, if you are too busy to take out a couple hours to have your site submitted, Web Net Solutions will be happy to provide the service for you on an on-going basis. Call your account representative to discuss details.
-- Another means by which your web site can be valuable to your business is as a tool for internal communications. The RandstadCOE (center of excellence) site is designed exclusively for internal communications. Beyond the initial page, passwords are needed to access the forms and productivity tools that the site offers Randstad team members. This is a perfect example of a site working WITHIN your business. (Too bad you dont have the password so you can see what they are doing. You will just have to take my word for it...) If you have forms, brochures, or such that you would like to be able to access from any computer with internet access, consider expanding your site to provide these for you. Infact, we have a "virtual office" section of our site that allows us to access forms we may need for service calls, or new business. Literally, almost anything you may need when calling on clients, traveling to trade shows, or otherwise can be made accessible via a web page.
I have come to believe that a company in the 21st century without a web site is operating without making use of POWERFUL tools. A web site can meet the needs of prospective customers, current customers, and staff. Take time to consider ways you can get more from your current web site.
Next time, Ill discuss other features of the internet that may improve business -- e-mail and newsgroups. Till then.....
About the Author
Bill Snodgrass is a partner in Web-Net Solutions, a company dedicated to helping businesses get the most from technology. His primary contribution is in the area of web site design and engineering. Web-Net Solutions offers small to medium businesses the chance to access top level technical support, state of the art web design, and customized programming without the need to hire full time technical personnel.
snodgrass@web-net-solutions.com
http://www.web-net-solutions.com
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