A website may be the most important investment you can make. It is a critical tool that you should be able use to generate more business. If you’ve been considering a website redesign, the following are some questions that can help you decide.
Can you edit your website?
Can you post news or blog articles, upload video, or edit the content on your site quickly and easily? This may be the most important thing to consider because it is very important to update your website on a regular basis. Why? Fresh content will help with search engine rankings, increase the traffic to your site, and keep visitors coming back. There is usually more cost up front for a corporate website with content management, but the benefits of being able to control your online content and use your corporate website as a business tool are priceless.
What are the first impressions?
Does your website look good and well represent your business or organization? This might sound trivial, but you must keep in mind that if your website looks bad and disorganized, it’s a direct reflection upon your company and it could be a costly one. As most folks know, Internet users have short attention spans and will likely turn away from your site quickly if it looks unprofessional. In the digital age, your website is the “face†of your company. It’s the “hub.†The central location around which your communication to the world rotates. First impressions have never been so important.
Does your website have video?
Internet users want to see video when they come to any site. Studies show that the majority of people using the Internet would be much more likely to watch a short video that explains your business, as opposed to reading through your content. Nevertheless, you need to work hard toward producing good content and a complimentary video my be the gateway you need to engage potential customers.
Perform a Google search. Are you there?
The most common method for Internet users to find the content for which they are looking is by searching. The primary method for this is Google. People open a browser window and type into the Google search box and browse the items that appear on the first page. They rarely navigate to page two or three. It can greatly enhance your website traffic to show up on page one in these searches. You can start by visiting google.com and entering a phrase you feel someone would use to find your business, for instance “car dealership in western Pennsylvania.†Try several of these searches out. Is your website coming up in these searches?
There is another check you can perform here. Open a browser and go to your website. Look at the very top of the browser window – all the way above the address bar – the very top of the browser window. What do you read there? Is it something like “Home†or “My Company Name.†If so, your site is probably not optimized for maximum search engine performance.
A third test is to visit your site and find an area with text and try to highlight the text by clicking and dragging across several lines. If you can select the text, then your site may have been created in Flash. This can hinder your search engine performance and my not be the best solution for you.
How does your website work on mobile devices?
Having a website that is accessible on smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices is becoming more and more important. You need a mobile web interface that translates well to the smaller screens and is well organized so that the mobile user is getting your critical information. Planning, usability, and organization are important in the design of mobile interfaces. The attention spans are even shorter on mobile devices and there are many technical challenges. It is important to tackle the challenges with a formulated plan.
To get a free evaluation of your corporate website or to find out more, contact us…
