CAST YOUR WEB - EFFECTIVE WEB DESIGN In association with Fireball Media

Orla O'Leary Sales & Marketing Director, Fireball Media

In today's world of technology, a website is a must have for any forward thinking business. Orla O'Leary gives advice on how to get the best from your website

CAST YOUR WEB

As the world gets smaller your website has the potential to reach out worldwide, as well as to local customers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As you sleep, your website is reaching and generating potential clients no matter when or where they log on. If you have an e-commerce website, you have the potential to generate money around the clock.

Your website is a reflection of your professionalism; it is a showcase for your company and is crucial for the advancement of your business. If your site is not up to scratch it may be damaging to your business and in some cases you may be better off without it.

MAKE A WEBSITE MAKE MONEY

TOP TIPS

Know what you want from your site. Choose a professional company to develop your site. Make sure your site is registered with search engines. Ensure your content is up to date and relevant. If you are sending out a newsletter ensure you send it at the key times through out the year. Take care that your e-commerce site is secure. Your design should be sharp and professional and tie in with your company branding. Remember: If all the above are not met you’re better off without.

By reaching customers online, your website will drive business directly to you. It is a point of contact for new and returning customers and can increase your customer base infinitely if executed correctly. An e-commerce website can make money for you, either as a supplement to your current business or solely as an online venture. Your products are displayed to a wider audience and your overheads, such as premises, are decreased. You can use your website to get a feel for your market by running online polls and questionnaires; by publishing a newsletter that is sent out by email; or by viewing your daily and monthly site statistics reports. These help you to improve your business, gather information about your customers and let them send feedback to you.

In addition to this you have the opportunity to sell advertising space on your site. Choosing companies that compliment your business is a must when selling advertising space and when done correctly can generate a steady income for your business.

SEARCH ENGINES

Your site can only generate money if it has visitors and so a major pitfall is failure to make your site easily available. Check that it can be found quickly in the main search engines and make sure that you display your website address on any promotional or print materials. It is up to your web designer to ensure that your site can be found in search engines. Check that this is included in your quote, as some companies will charge extra for this service.

THE RIGHT DOMAIN

Choosing the right domain name can also be a minefield of mistakes. Your web designer should help you choose the best domain name that is available and ensure that it is relevant to your company. Your domain name should also be memorable and unique so that customers will easily remember it and pass it on it. Something that could crush your company is having an insecure e-commerce website. If you don’t ensure your site is secure then your client’s credit card details could be viewed by anyone. Once you get customers to your site you want them to stay and to find their way around easily. Good quality content is key to a successful website. Make sure your text and images are relevant and up to date and that information can be easily found.

UPDATE REGULARLY

Every site needs updating, the regularity of this will depend on the type of site your have. Make sure products, prices and contact information are up to date. If they aren’t then customers will lose trust in you and not return. Take care that your website reflects your real world company. If you are running a competition in store ensure that the details also appear on your site. A constantly changing site encourages repeat visits and is a sign of a progressive company. Remember, an updated site is a revisited site.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PERSON TO DESIGN YOUR SITE

KNOWING HOW YOUR WEBSITE CAN MAKE YOU MONEY IS FRUITLESS UNLESS THE TECHNIQUES ARE EXECUTED CORRECTLY. Employing the wrong company to develop your website is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Your website is a reflection of your professionalism and if your site is out of date, has poor content, is an unreliable source of information and doesn’t make a good impression then this can be detrimental to the reputation of your company. It is up to you to choose the right design company for the job.     Choose a company you trust, one that has the same vision for your business as you do and one that is willing to research your market. They should be forward thinking and have ideas about the growth of the website and how it will progress. Visit the company’s own website and look at their portfolio. Read their testimonials and if possible speak to other clients personally for direct feedback.     Check what is included in your quote and ask for a breakdown of costs. If you don’t understand something, ask for it to be explained. A reputable company should not presume you know all the technical jargon.     Ask about support and after sales services. If your site goes down, will there be anyone to pick up the pieces? Buying a package that includes both the design and hosting of your site will ensure that your designer will be able to look after things like your email addresses and updates to the site.     Unless you have training or experience in the field, do not attempt to create your own website.