Web Content & Research
Will you develop content or ask someone to do it for you?
The most important part of a website is it's content. Back in 2002 when Creative Mode was just starting out, the saying was 'Content is King' and today that is still true. What
do you want to communicate? Think about the goals of your
website, think about your reasons for being online and what
will really interest your intended audience. If you don't feel confident
about developing your own content ask someone to do it for
you and keep in mind that it may need adjustment for web delivery. We have a number of copywriters with diverse style to assist you if you need help with content.
Web Design & Development
Who will design, develop and maintain your website? Take your
idea's to someone who can provide options to design, code
and then maintain your website. Ask lots of questions and ask for
a quote and an estimated timeframe for completion. The possibilites
are often great, but the reality is going to depend on your
budget. If you have a budget, make it clear right from the
start to avoid wasting time on proposals you can't afford.
Choose someone who has the skills and experience building
the kind of website you want, ask to see examples and make
sure you feel 110% comfortable with your choice of web developer.
It's not always easy for clients to explain something that
hasn't yet taken form. This reason alone makes a good relationship
very important. Understanding your vision and turning it into
reality requires a good measure of discussion and feedback
to find the best solution.
A Domain Name for your Website
Your domain name is your unique web address and it's primarily
used to find your website. It is also a valuable tool for
developing your brand. Here's an example of a domain name:
mycompany.com.au. There are rules governing who can register
domain names and you are required to provide information about
your business when you make your domain name application.
The extension on the end defines the type of domain name.
For example, '.au' is reserved for Australian business so
any domain name that ends with .au will be a registered Australian
business. You don't need to own a website to register a domain
name - you can simply register your domain to reserve it for
future use. This is called 'domain parking'.
Web Hosting
Your website pages need to be stored on a computer that
is connected to the internet 24 hours a day, seven days a
week so that people can access them. This is the service your
'web host' provides and the computer that stores your pages
is commonly referred to as a 'server'. The cost of web hosting
is usually based on the following: the amount of storage space
your website pages will require; whether you share a server
with other websites or have your own dedicated server (shared hosting is the norm for small business websites); the speed of the service;
and the type of services available on the server for processing
your web pages (eg. the ability to process scripts or handle
database programming). If your site is extremely popular there
may be extra charges based on the amount of traffic your site
attracts so you would need to consider this when choosing a web hosting plan. Web hosting packages usually include some great
management tools such as website statistics reporting and
a control panel for setting up your own email addresses but this will
vary depending on the web host you choose. There is sometimes an initial setup cost for web hosting and then ongoing fee's
are billed on a monthly or yearly basis.
Internet Access
It goes without saying that you will need a reliable internet
connection to respond to any email enquiries from your website.
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) primarily sells access
to the world wide web. In the past this has most commonly
been a 'dial-up connection' to the internet with a free email
account attached. There are now many more options available.
An ISP will often provide a variety of other services such
as website hosting, domain name registration and even basic
website development. There are many ISP's to choose from and
the costs will vary depending on the type of service you choose.
This is a good time to start thinking about who has access
to the internet within your organisation. Internet access
is essential if you are going to properly service your website
enquiry's.
Website Promotion
How will you tell people about your website and encourage
visitors? Here are a few common options. Add your web and
email address to business cards, letterhead and any printed
brochures or advertising you have in place. Talk about your
website with your customers whenever you do business. Register
your site with search engines and directory's so that you
can be found online. Ask for links from other sites with the
same target audience as yours - this can encourage traffic
to your website. If you are in an extremely competitive industry
you might also consider paid online advertising options such
as 'Pay Per Click' services. Email marketing and social media marketing can be very effective also. Your choice and the effectiveness of different marketing options will
vary depending on who your target audience is, what your individual
website goals are and the industry that you operate in.
Web Site Management
Websites need maintenance such as updates to keep them relevent
and occasional technical maintenance that requires liason
with your web host. Within the first few months especially,
it is likely you will need to fine tune a few things based
on the responses you are getting from visitors. Website statistics
(even the basic packages provided by web hosting services)
can report on information such as which pages are the most
popular, how many visitors does your site attract, who provides
the most referrals to your site and more. If you make changes
in response to this information you can tailor your website
better, to specifically meet the needs of your visitors and
thereby improve the effectiveness of your website. Your options
for site maintenance will depend on the technical skill available
within your organisation and the services available from your
web developer. If your site will require a significant amount
of updating (eg. real estate listings require daily updates)
you might want to invest more in the beginning to have a content
management system developed. This allows staff to easily update
information via an interface that be quite simple depending on the system you use. If your site is
fairly basic the maintenance costs will be minimal. You really need to carefully asess your needs here.
Business Integration
I cannot count the number of times I have made an online
enquiry and received either no response, or, a response a
week later. Something else that happens often: I call a company
about a product I've seen online and the person I talk to
has no idea what is on their website. This is not an ideal
situation. If you're online, you must integrate your website
into your business. Show the site to your staff, explain how
it works and why it's there. If you have website promotions,
make sure everyone is given details. Set up standard procedures
to manage enquiries from, or about, your website. Treat email
enquiries with the same priority you give a phone call and
don't delay responding for more than a day if possible. Not
every staff member has internet access? You can at the very
least provide a quick training session so they've at least seen the site.
Measures Of Success
Website statistics (even the basic packages provided by
web hosting services) can help you to measure the effectiveness
of your website and provide valuable information for market
research. This is the key to improved performance. If you
usually advertise offline, use your web statistics reports
to guage the response to offline marketing campaigns such
as a mail out. How? If you include additional information
on your site and reference this in your offline material,
you can usually see increased visits to your site, specific
to pages about the product or service you advertised. After
a few of these you can often see what works and what doesn't
pretty quickly.
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