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SEVEN COMPONENTS OF A GREAT WEBSITE

Is Updating Your Website a Waste of Money? Maybe Not.

By Susan Pascal Tatum

If you're like a large percentage of business owners or marketers, you're seriously considering updating your website in the not-too-distant future. Unfortunately, if the past and present state of website design and development is any indication, chances are good that any website update or redesign will be a colossal waste of money.

But have no fear. I'm going to share with you some best practices of business website development that will help you avoid paying for a bad website and to reap the many benefits of creating a good website.

First let's look at the difference between a good website and a bad one.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

Most people--brilliant CEOs and marketers included--tend to judge a website by how slick it looks. This may be a natural reaction to a visual stimulus, but when it comes to evaluating websites, it's a mistake. While a poorly-designed website can wreck a sale, a pleasing visual design doesn't ensure that the site will do its job. It's not that easy.

A "good" website is not just one that makes you proud to look at it. A good website also delivers a great return on your investment by producing the results you want it to produce. Simple idea, but judging by many of the website stats we see, one that is often overlooked.

The criteria we use to evaluate website effectiveness focus on how well it draws--rather than repels--qualified visitors; how much of the site gets read; and, most importantly, how effective it is in getting the visitor to take the desired actions.

Sounds a little like how you evaluate your sales people doesn't it? There's a reason for that. Today's website is far more than just an online brochure. A good website actually performs many of the initial activities that used to be the responsibility of a sales team.

Sure, a sloppy, unprofessional sales person can screw up even the most solid deal. But a slick talking, well-dressed salesperson who arrives unprepared isn't going to make the sale, either.

Take a minute and think about your customers and prospects, and how they make their buying decisions. In general, it begins when the prospect recognizes a need. They start to research the problem and potential solutions. In B-to-B (especially business technology) this is usually done online, well before the prospect is willing to commit to a call with a sales person.

CREATING YOUR WEBSITE

If you're beginning to think that redesigning your website or creating an all-new one is going to take more than a focus on visual design...you're right! Here are the seven major components to a great website:

1. Website Strategy--This involves taking a close look at your objectives, your audience, your competitors and your traffic sources. These combine to create your overall strategy.

2. Content--Whether it's text, illustrations, demos or whatever--this is what people come to your site for. Make it as informative as possible.

3. Visual Design--Yes, this is important, too. If you're not an expert in this, find someone who is.

4. Performance--This may not be the sexiest part of the site to anyone but a programmer, but nothing will drive visitors away like slow-loading pages, dead links, or a site that can't be read on a Firefox browser.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)--While I recommend against compromising your best selling content in order to meet perceived search engine requirements, good search engine ranking is important.

6. Analytics--How do we know a website is performing well? We measure it! Analytics provide the proof that something is working (or not working) and it shows where the greatest opportunities for improvement are located.

7. Testing--Even after 15+ years of working with websites, I am still constantly--Constantly--surprised at how little we really know about how people are going to respond, and how small changes can make a great difference in performance.

As you move forward with a new or redesigned website, keep the above points in mind. Best of luck.

Susan Pascal Tatum, co-founder and president of Tatum Marketing, is a recognized expert in business-to-business Internet marketing. She has been helping software, information technology and other B-to-B firms achieve greater online marketing results for more than two decades. She is a popular author and speaker, and regularly publishes Internet marketing strategies and actionable tips on her Tatum Marketing blog. Visit Tatum Marketing online for a complementary copy of their latest report, Technology Marketing 2009. http://www.tatummarketing.com

 

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