Website success by accident?

You may have noticed when buying milk from a 7-11 that it’s always in the back corner of the store. Perhaps it’s there because that’s the most practical location for the fridge, but then again it’s also a clever location to place a popular product line; customers have to walk through aisles of other products to get to it, and on the way there, they will hopefully spot products they had not planned on buying.

The same 7-11 will locate sweets and other low cost items in front of the checkout. This again is no accident; the plan is that the customer will spend their lose change or round off their purchase with a chocolate bar. Few customers will stop by a 7-11 just to buy a chocolate bar. More likely, they will stop for milk on their way home. But once in the store they are encouraged to buy a magazine or potato chips on their way to the milk, and then they are encouraged to buy a chocolate bar while waiting to pay for the milk (and magazine). Instead of spending $3.50 on milk alone, they might end up spending $7.50.

The point is that a profitable business doesn’t happen by accident. Even the positioning of a chocolate bar is given close consideration.

Perhaps because the Internet is a new business environment, few owners give their websites much thought. They are too often slapped together on a very low budget and forgotten until the following year when they receive their next hosting bill. Even email enquiries are left unanswered.

This kind of approach to web development is counter-productive. It damages the business’s image; by associating the website neglect with the businesses other operations. If the website is neglected, how is a customer to have faith in after sales support?

It’s better to have no website than to have one that is poorly designed and unmanaged. Remember that many users will be exposed to your business through your website, how they are greeted will determine their next move. Either they will be adequately impressed and become a new customer, or they will be sadly disappointed and will judge your business (on-line and offline) as unreliable.

Most business will find benefit in a website, however it is important to weigh those benefits against the costs of building and then maintaining a website that serves the business. The website, like every other representative of the business should be an asset, not a liability.

Summary:

• Deliberate the objectives of the website.
• Plan the website carefully (layout, navigation, content, design).
• Budget accordingly.
• Use a professional to develop the website.
• Test the website on 5 or more participants.
• Monitor and manage the website.
• Use site statistics and customer feedback to regularly evaluate the website.
• Keep the content fresh and up-to-date.
• Promote the website on all advertising and stationery.
• Promote the website in the Search Engines.
• Answer on-line enquiries promptly.
• Monitor your competitor’s website.
• Handle your website as seriously as you do any other department of your business.

 Related documents:

• Good website practices
• Website navigation
• Avoiding navigational confusion
• Free website monitoring service