|
|
How Do We Know When Its Time To Redesign Our Web Site?
A question we frequently get asked is, "how do we know when it is time to redesign our Web site?" The answer undoubtedly varies.
The first thing to analyze is your existing Web presence. What kind of traffic are you receiving? Are you getting a lot of calls from Web site users? When you navigate the site, is it easy to find what you are looking for? Is the data still current or do you still list products that have been discontinued since 1999? Make a list of the things you like and don't like about your existing site. This will give you a good starting point.
The next thing to do is to talk to a few of your customers and ask them what they think of your site, if they use it often, etc.. This will provide you with outside feedback and will hopefully generate ideas for your next step, which is to generate a wish list. This list should contain features or functionality that you'd like to see incorporated into your site. While some of the items may be cost prohibitive, it benefits you to know that and us to know the direction you're looking to go. On the flip side, something you think might be too expensive may in fact, cost less than you think.
Finally, take a look at your competitor's Web sites and see what they are doing. In addition, make a list of Web sites that you frequent with notes about what you like or don't like about them. This will give us a sense of your design taste. Though almost every customer says "I want my site to look like nothing else that's out there," there are certain characteristics that are prevalent in well-designed Web sites.
When this process is complete, you should have a good idea as to how your Web site stacks up and whether you're in need of a redesign. You may complete this process and decide that your site is doing as well as it can currently. You may also conclude that your current site is hurting more than it's helping your business. Either way, it's worth the time to evaluate how your Web site is performing because it is the one marketing tool that is accessible by anyone, anywhere, anytime.
WebSolutions is a professional Web site design, development, and hosting company based near Chicago. Their expertise in eCommerce has been highlighted in print and television and their custom developed solutions and pre-built shopping cart application (The Marketplace) has been successful for businesses nationwide. Jon Kee handles all sales and marketing related activities for WebSolutions and can be reached by phone at 630.375.6833 or email @ sales@wsol.com. Visit us online: http://www.wsol.com
Using Your Personal Website To Clinch That Job!
With an increasing number of employment portals emerging, it is apparent that internet tools do help bring the job-seeker and the potential employer together. A sophisticated job search engine enables the job-seeker to have a smaller sample of relevant job openings instead of going through countless newspaper advertisements.
Good Content Pays!
Traffic to a site can be a blessing or a curse. Visitors who find what they are looking for, are engaged in what the site offers, and/or come away with a positive impression become the site owner's best allies and customers. But lead a visitor to believe that they will find what they are looking for and then not provide on your promise and you will find yourself being stabbed in the back repeatedly by people you will never know. As discussed in another article, "What Are the Benefits of Good Design on the Web?" the task of the site owner is not simply to ask all the right questions and make sure the designer interprets the answers correctly. Just as challenging is the need for the correct content-content that is largely dictated by the answers to the same questions so important to good design: Who are the visitors? What are they looking for? What is their situation, are they rushed? Are they knowledgeable? Are they looking for opinions or facts? Are they the kind of prospect the site owner is looking for?
How To Write An Effective FAQ Page
Websites that have multiple pages usually have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. There are several good reasons why you should have one.
Building a One-page Website
You've designed your logo, and you're ready to print your business cards and other marketing collateral materials. You want to include your website address (also called a URL) to build your credibility. However, you're not quite ready to write and design a full website. At the same time, you don't think it's a good idea to distribute your new printed materials showing your website URL and to have only a blank web page waiting for your potential client's inquiries. What to do?
7 Ways of Building Customers Trust With Your Web Site
When I purchase something from a web site I first check who is behind this site. If there is no contact information or anything about the owner of the site or his/her company I move on.
What You Should Ask a Web Designer Before You Hire Him
You've thought about it and you're ready to go. You're ready to give your business an online presence. You want your own website. That's great but unless you are doing it yourself, you would be shopping for a website designer. Some people would design their own websites but most people prefer to save themselves the time and money and hand the job over to the professionals.
Other Ways to Look at Things
Many people today are tired of the Microsoft software that came pre-packaged with their operating system. Some have switched over to Apple's Macintosh line, but for the most part we just put up with what we have. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) has come under a lot of fire as of late for several reasons. Hackers find IE easy to exploit.
Creating a Basic Web Design Template
A "template" is simply a design format which you can apply to all (or most) of the pages in your web site. The first advantage of using a "template" system is that it allows you to make your most important design decisions at the beginning, and then just focus on content. The second advantage is that it allows you to quickly create new pages based on your standard design.
How to Chose Stock Photography for your Web Site
So you've decided to take the plunge. You know that stock photography is an effective tool for your web business, but where do you start and how do you choose the stock photo that's right for you. Here are some tips to get you started so that you are happy with your choice.
Choosing A Color Scheme
When you begin the design of your Web site, one of the first things you need to do is decide on a color scheme. Although choosing colors seems like a relatively easy proposition, it's not easy at all. In fact, it's hard.
Why You Should Hire a Professional Website Designer
Your web site should always adhere to standards!
Tips for Getting More Sales From Your Website
(1) Create a Direct Response Website, with the minimum number of pages possible (e.g. an Index Page, a Contact Page, and an Order Page).
How To Create A Professional Website In Less Than A Week
Here's a really simple way... any novice can create a fully functional website in less than a week.
Professional Web Design Companies - How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off
Building a website that is exactly what you want and has all of the components you believe will impress customers is not easy. Your website needs to make searching and buying as easy as possible for your visitors and sometimes it is best to seek help on your website design. You may want to seek out a professional web design company to help you design your web pages so you can get started online. However, web design companies are notorious for quoting one thing and billing something significantly higher. What you need to do is know how you can avoid getting ripped off before you ever do so you can avoid the situation if at all possible. Read the following suggestions to help you avoid getting ripped off.
Website Maintenance: What Does it Take to Manage Your Website?
Every action has a beginning phase where you launch your activity, a middle period in which you must sustain and develop it and a conclusion. Many people set up a website enthusiastically but then they find that they don't have the skills or knowledge to maintain and develop it. So, what are the challenges in this middle phase of a website's life and how can you meet them?
Create A Web Site That Builds Trust
If someone doesn't know you personally, will they trust you enough to do business with you just by visiting your web site?
5 Ways To Improve Your Website Immediately
If you are reading this, I assume you either have your own website or planning to get one. Either way, these 5 tips can help you create a better business website immediately. They'll help you draw more repeat visitors and help visitors find their way around easily on your website. When that happens, you sell more of your products and services!
Speed Up Or Lose Out! How To Improve Your Websites Download Speed
So your web site's online and you've got high rankings in the search engines attracting lots of visitors. But the statistics tell you most of them are leaving after viewing just one page, what's gone wrong?
Use Feng Shui Techniques To Design a Harmonic Website For Your Business
By following feng shui guidelines and techniques, you can build and design a business website that is not only visually attractive but also attractive to wealth and prosperity. The elements that are part of a business website are somehow equivalent to the objects distributed through a working space since the website is the electronic version of the actual business' offices. Therefore, the website design and the elements that will be in it should follow feng shui guidelines in order to be properly balanced.
Use Exclusive Content - When Reprint Articles Dont Do Enough
There is no doubt that reprint articles can serve lots of search engine traffic to your site... All you have to do is to check your traffic logs and you will see how much traffic finds your site via one of the major search engines, as a result of those reprint articles being located on your website.