Wow 'Em With a Winning Website

Plenty of business owners still aren't convinced that their website is an important sales driver. Or worse, they don't think they need a website at all.

Here's why:

1. Studies show that more than 70 percent of consumers use the internet every day to find goods and services. Don't be fooled into thinking it appeals only to the teen and 20-something crowd. My 80-something mother is one of those consumers, and more of her pals join the pack daily.

2. Almost everyone expects you to have a website. It doesn't matter whether you're opening a pizzeria that caters to customers within a five-mile radius or you want to engage corporate consulting clients in the U.S. and Denmark. A well-made website can help you connect with your target markets and--more importantly--drive sales.

3. A great website is a terrific guerilla marketing communications tool. It enables companies of every size to strut their stuff globally.

4. It also allows you to:

• Introduce your unique brand
• Showcase your expertise
• Boost your credibility as a business entity
• Educate clients and prospects about what your company does and whom you serve. Among those prospects are "launch pad" people who might not be interested in doing business now, but might want to do so someday. There will also be browsers who have friends, family, colleagues and other contacts presently seeking your services.
• Engage a huge pool of people on your terms for pennies a day
• Have a 24 hour/365 day-a-year sales force

5. A well-written, artfully designed, user-friendly site sifts through your prospects for you. It generates stronger leads from folks who truly "get" what you do, while less-serious surfers or potential prospects will most likely click away to other sites. That means less wasted time for you and your staff.

What your net visitor physically sees is based on the website's construction and coding. Properly constructed websites allow you (or your designated web administrative assistant) to make updates without affecting your site's established layout. Even if you're the most technologically challenged person on the planet, you can handle this--provided you construct your site to allow this feature at the get-go or if you use additional software, such as Contribute or ActivEdit 5.0.

Strong coding is essential because it helps the search engines read and classify the information on your site. That means you need to make sure the right metatag titles and descriptions are used on each page (keywords specific to the content that site visitors see).

There are good reasons to be hyper-compulsive about this.

You want prospects to be able to find your site directly (by typing your name and/or your company name into their favorite search engine), as well as through indirect (industry, product or service-based) searches.

For example, if you're an interior designer, you want to be found when a prospect types in "interior designers, your county, your state." What's more, if your site is set up and coded correctly, it will be ranked organically higher on the results list when prospects use major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN typing in specific keywords.

That means you're less likely to have to pay extra to hire a company to improve your search rankings for a monthly fee. Special web copywriters, experienced webmasters and SEO (search engine optimization) specialists can help you achieve better organic rankings if they do things correctly the first time.

Understand that creating a website isn't a "onesie." Your site needs continual nurturing. Update your site regularly with new content and have an independent SEO professional conduct an annual assessment/update so that your title tags, alt tags, etc. are in line with the latest algorithms introduced by the major search engines. This proactive approach will help your site consistently rank higher on search results.

"In addition to a mindful, aesthetically pleasing design, a website must be tailored specifically to its target audience. It must engage the visitors, resonate with their values and connect to them using understandable language," says Pamela Cisneros, a creative web whiz at Zafari Inc. in Charleston, South Carolina.

Zafari helps clients with identity, branding, graphics, and website design and development. According to Cisneros, winning websites sport navigation systems that are simple, intuitive and provide several means of getting to the core content.

• Graphics, images, animation and video are mainstays of today's websites, but Cisneros cautions that these cool tools should be used with purpose. Pay attention to the needs of the audience and the reason(s) people visit the site. Avoid Las Vegas-style action, strident music and too much use of Flash: It can be distracting and annoying.

On the other hand, Cisneros says, if the audience will be inspired by a visually exciting and engaging experience, such as the upbeat music and animal sounds found on Zafari's site, then by all means, "wow them."

• Outstanding website development must employ proven methods for optimal search engine placement. This means analyzing the content, ensuring its usefulness to the visitor and developing/hosting the site in accordance with the best SEO practices.

Says Cisneros: "What good is a fantastic website if it can't be found via the search engines? Research, analyze and adjust the content moderately over time, and your message will be received."

Take a hard look at your website. Review everything from the look to the back-end metatag data and strategic inbound and outbound links. Also review your site's traffic analytics, which your hosting company should be able to provide.

Are folks visiting and then bouncing away? Are they lingering on certain pages and clicking through for more info? Assess what works, develop a strategy and fix what isn't effective.

If you've good a good handle on your target markets and ongoing, professional action from your personal net team, you can turn a bland, nonperforming site into the active sales engine it should be.