First let's address some of the reasons a website fails.

A lack of content - People don't browse websites for no reason. They are after something, either entertainment or information. People are not interested in seeing your pretty logo you spent hours designing. They want CONTENT!

Poor design - Having an ugly website designed by your 12 year nephew is a non-starter. Your website needs to look good, be easy to navigate and have the right content.

Lack of updates - Content is good but old content is bad. It makes you look stale and dated. When you have a new product or product change, tell your site! When you have a special or promotion, tell your site! Chances are your site speaks with more customers every day than your sales rep. Look for a website solution that empowers you or a member of your team to make easy changes. Don't fall into the trap of spending thousands for "website maintenance".  DIY!

Keywords are key - Have you heard of Google? Yahoo!? These are household names because we all use them. For that reason they are one of the most important identities on the web. Well, as Google and Yahoo! is as important for us to find things, keywords and descriptions are equally as important for Google and Yahoo! to find your site. They rely on these to list your site appropriately. Not having proper keywords and descriptions on your website would be like going without Google for a week - I personally couldn't imagine it!

Think local - One of the mistakes people make with a website is they think "World Wide Web - Global domination here I come!" Just because a person in Morocco can see your site doesn't mean they will buy from it. Therefore, ensure you register your site with local directories and search engines. Directory services such as Yahoo! allow you register your site to your local country, county and town providing accurate and local search results for their users.

Too much advertising - not enough substance. Who are you trying to promote? Your business or some random business that appears in a Google AdWords on your site? Chances are the Google AdWords relate to your industry so chances are it's your competitor. Congratulations! You've lost another customer. Avoid plastering your website with advertisements particularly from external sources. Stay focused on your products and services and present them in a clear and professional manner. Fancy and flashing banners are a distraction and popups are the new evil of the modern world.

Money, money, money - Many companies fall into the trap of employing the best web developers in town, spending tens of thousands of pounds on a custom built site. In most cases it is through a lack of understanding of how the web works or what options are available, but the cost of building a website no longer has to be the second largest investment you've ever made. It can be simple. It can be fast. And it can work. And it doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Spend wisely.

Make money - Many people see a website as a cost. A website is a sales representation and like all sales representatives it should make you money! Give the sales representative who speaks to more customers than any of your representatives the opportunity to take your customers' money. Give your customers the opportunity to buy while their interest is at its peak. And consider ways of including value-adds so your customers buy even more.

Now that we have addressed some of the reasons a website fails lets look at some of the costs of a traditional website.

The costs of setting up and maintaining a traditional website for most small businesses usually results in one of the following.

• The company forks up the exorbitant costs to the develop the site;
• The company decides it's too much and forgets the idea entirely;
• The company opts for a cheaper route.

Whichever way, a huge opportunity has been missed. The company owner is either left feeling ripped off or with a website that poorly represents their company, products and services.

These are common problems faced by every web inspiring business. Add to this the complexity of the decorative goods industry and the nightmare explodes.

Wilcom DecoNetwork.com was designed to address this and more. See page 10 of this issue or visit www.DecoNetwork.comuch

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