Website
Design
Rebecca Ajibola -
-
Why website design and banding is important
Before I get into this article, let me say a few words to you: 1- McDonalds 2- FedEx 3- Kmart 4- Harley Davidson 5-
Pepsi-Co.
Now, think for a brief moment, and try to picture in your mind the logo of that company.
You can see all of them, you probably did before I even asked you to. That is what branding is all about. So many
business' make the mistake these days of thinking the Internet is the online equivalent of the Field of Dreams. Let
me be the first to tell you it is not! Google is not your online Horace Mann, who is going to deliver you to
paradise.
To make it online takes a lot of effort, I will try to give you a few reasons. First, to be a successful website
owner, be it an informational or e commerce, the goal for you is to gain a customer.
Many business owners know how to treat a customer when they walk into your retail location, or call you on the
phone. Why wouldn' t you give your web users the same effort? What I am getting at is, if you do not think your web
customers are important, you will never see the benefit of having a vehicle that operates for you 24 hours a day,
every day of the year.
Many business' enjoy having a website that out performs their sales team. What would that mean to your business?
Well, surely you could imagine how that would benefit you and your company, now lets take some action. Does your
website give the right impression? When a new web user lands on your site, can they in 20 seconds or less identify
who you are, what you do, and how you can be of service to them? If not, you have just identified one of the first
things you need to fix.
Brand your website as you would your business card. Add your logo to the site; and when you do, put it somewhere
that is easy to read, and is legible. If you are an English speaking company, put your logo on the top left of your
site, we read websites the same way we read a book, Left to Right, Top to Bottom.
Having said that, the next thing you need to do is state who you are. Now, I dont expect you to write your company
history here, just offer a customer 100 words or less that would be a quick overview of who you are, what you do,
and why you are good for them. This is branding 101.
Showcase who you are, make it easy for a customer to use your site, explain your benefits, and if you are selling
something on this site... offer them a quick way to view a product and buy something. Web users are all about
simplicity. As people become more savvy, and their expectations of a website increase you need to keep up with that
demand, or you will be left behind. Offering a professional designed site, that is well branded, and easy to use is
the best initial goal for a company starting a web presence. This is a great way to increase your sales conversions
as well.
Finally, once you get your website up and running, I always reccomend you do 3 things:
1- Ask 25 friends, and/or business associates to critique your website. This is your chance to have a focus group
of people who hopefully will give you accurate and honest opinions. Ask them if they understand the goal of your
company and website, was the browsing experience a positive one, and if they were in the market for your products
or services, would they chose you based on the feeling they get from your website.
2- Add Analytics to your website. Start tracking your traffic, analyze trends, try to identify when users are on
your site, what they do while they are there, and where are your challenges in the conversion process. The better
you learn how to analyze what your customers do while there, will help you overall keep up with the demands of your
customer base.
3- Start doing some Online Marketing in the form of Search Engine Optimization, Social Networking, Email Marketing,
and overall promotion of your online sales rep; your Website. I will be writing some future articles on those
topics as well. Until then, Take care, Good Luck and Successful
Source: http://www.sitexcel.com
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