Whilst most of us have websites, I am forever encountering businesses that are reluctant to direct people to their websites due to the simple fact that their sites are out of date or under construction. Too many businesses are quite simply underestimating how valuable their website can be to their business. It is therefore essential to provide valuable content and keep it fresh by updating your website regularly.

With the market and technology forever evolving and adapting, how do small to medium size businesses, the majority of which make up our industry, ensure that their websites remain a competitive resource helping drive new business? Below are a few key pointers which will help achieve and maintain that perfect business website:

Have a plan

The key starting point is to have a plan. When putting together a website you should first establish what the main purpose of your website is, then set out your main goals and make sure that they are fulfilled.

Introduce your brand

Introduce your brand with a unique logo and slogan, making it eye-catching yet easy to read. This will help attract interest, whereas complicated brands will make your website look overcrowded. Of utmost importance is that you make sure that you set out clearly on the home page what you do as a company.

Establish measures of success

It is important to establish measures of success.  For instance, is your website driving enough traffic? Put into practice ways of accurately measuring visitor usage and interaction and check on this regularly.

User friendly

Make your website easy to use by making it a simple click away home page that is consistent with the other pages of your site. The easier it is to navigate, the more likely visitors are to stay and browse.

The importance of e-commerce sales

With the proportion of businesses that made sales over the Internet doubling between 2002 and 2007, it is essential that businesses do not miss out on the huge potential that e-commerce sales have to offer. In order to benefit from this you must make sure your website has easily located buttons for your customers, enabling them to purchase your products or services easily from your site.

Use your customer data

Build a loyal customer basis and use it! By creating a database of possible clients visiting your website you can use this to keep an ongoing communication relationship which will hopefully drive sales.

Promote your website

No one will look at your website unless you make them aware of it, so it is essential to promote your website regularly. This can be done through various activities such as investing in your search engine optimisation. Make sure that Google and other search engines carry a full listing of your company, something that your potential customers who are looking for a product or services that you offer will be able to find easily through a search engine.

Keep it simple

Don't overload your website with too much copy.  Less is more as they say. Try to avoid large amounts of text on your website, as this can often put the customer off. Breaking the text up into small amounts will make it easier to read and therefore more appealing to a potential customer.  

In conclusion, it should be remembered that these days websites are increasingly seen as the official shop window for businesses, not just from a national perspective but from a global one too. It is therefore essential to treat your website as the key customer facing tool. Remember that first impressions last!

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