The Benefits of an Effectively Built Website

There's a "buzz" going on right now on the Internet about the phenomenon of "local searching". Companies like Google, Yahoo and Yellow Pages are gearing up to take advantage of the fact that people are using the "global" Internet to find information about local goods and services. All kinds of studies are being commissioned. These studies are finding out what any Internet connected shopper already knows. If a local company provides information about its product or services via a website, people searching for that information are more likely to buy from that company.

Many small businesses don't seem to be aware of this. A recent USA Today cover story pointed out that the lack of a website puts small businesses at a competitive disadvantage, but 47% still don't have a website.

Interestingly though, most small businesses will spend money on Yellow Pages, radio or television advertising. They may not realize that if a TV, print or radio advertisement also offers a website, 40% of the people exposed to the ad will visit the website and eventually make a purchase. The bottom line? Adding an website address to offline ads will enhance those advertising dollars many times over.

But this enhancement works only if the website is built correctly. Websites that are hard to read, or that offer no valuable information are worthless for generating sales, and therefore worthless in terms of advertising and growing a business. Worse yet, a badly built website can damage your business image.

So, your business should invest in a website, but only if the site is built properly.

There are five key steps to implementing a successful website. Following these steps will drive free traffic to your site, get search engine attention, and build good customer relationships. They are:

1. Conduct research to discover keywords people use to find the information you offer.
2. Write content rich, visitor pleasing website pages using keywords compiled from your research.
3. Build a keyword focused website structure to get search engine attention.
4. Adopt a simple clean "look" and make sure your website is easy to navigate.
5. Update your website with new information to refresh search engine and visitor interest.

Unfortunately, most web design companies build websites backwards. They build the website image first, launch the site, and afterward use site traffic reports to identify effective keywords. Any keywords used during the initial phase are just "guesses" until traffic stats are analyzed. It may take a year or more to discover the keywords that should have been identified from the start.

Even worse, the business community has been led to believe that website building is difficult and expensive. Businesses, especially medical and dental practices, are charged excessive fees by "specialized" web design firms. These small businesses end up overpaying by thousands for a basic website which does nothing to generate new business. The failure is because the website is based on keyword "guesses" and has little relevant content, not because websites don't work. No wonder small businesses hesitate to invest money on a website.

This type of trouble can be avoided if you know the five key steps above. Simply ask your web design firm the following questions:

1. How will free traffic be driven to my new website? You might hear "we will provide traffic reports or tweak the keywords after the site is built". The answer should be "keyword research is the starting point".
   
2. How will we decide what content to emphasize? The answer should include the development of content and site structure to complement keyword research results. Without this keyword research, you can expect a website that does nothing to generate free traffic for your business.
   
3. What will the site look like? If the answer includes any visual that requires a "please wait" countdown bar, remember, studies have shown people wait only four seconds for a website to load. That's all, four seconds.
   

Commissioning a website does not have to be an expensive, worrisome process. If you choose a web design firm that incorporates the five key steps, you'll get a website that will satisfy visitors, get search engine attention, and be well worth the investment you make.