How Does the World See You? Can they See You?
When someone is searching for your service,
will they find
you ... or your competitors?
A web site does not have to be complicated in design or expensive to maintain. Just review the components involved and consider the ongoing costs of a basic web site:
Components of a Basic Web Site Design Project:
- Domain Name Registration (www.companyname.com)
- Web Site (page files, images, content, etc.)
- Host Server (the web server making your web site available to the world)
Web Site Ongoing Costs:
- Fixed: Annual Domain Renewal Fee ($10/year)
- Fixed: Monthly Hosting Fee ($15/Month)
- Variable: Maintenance (who will maintain the site, how often, and at what cost?)
- Variable: Promotional Advertising (Print or Pay-Per-Click campaigns)
Web Site Content to Consider:
-
Promotions and coupons
-
Satisfaction Guarantee
-
Policies: Terms and Conditions
-
Free Samples or Free Consultations
-
FAQ's (Frequently asked questions)
-
Newsletter
-
Staff Biographies (Roles and/or Departments)
-
Announcements
-
Links to complimentary, non-competitor sites
-
Glossary of Terms relevant to your industry
-
Product or Service Comparison Chart
-
Photos of your facility
-
Photos of Service or Product Offering
-
Driving Directions, Hours of Operation, & Map
-
Embedded Video or Slide Show
-
Press Release
-
Feedback Form
How to Promote Your Web Site
- Display Building/Street Signage
- Vehicle Signage
- Pay-per-Click Campaigns
- Stationery, Brochures & Business Cards
- Include with voicemail greeting or answering machine greeting
- Uniforms, T-Shirts, Pens & Other Novelty Items
- Keep a business card on you at all times. Miss no opportunity!
What to Avoid
-
Avoid link farms & unrelated link exchanges
-
Do not utilize mass URL submission services
-
Do not pay Yahoo for a business URL submission
-
Do not neglect your site.
Neglecting your site can impact your visibility over time. Periodic maintenance and updating are needed to keep your site search engine friendly.
Engines and directories must provide quality and relevant content to their users. If they fail to do so, sponsors will discontinue advertising through them. Therefore, the engine spider bots crawling your pages may consider your site irrelevant or expired. Your listing could drop out of site or, worse, be eliminated from their index entirely. They have to be picky in order to keep sponsors happy and remain profitable.
Visibility of your Site
Visibility can fluctuate due to changing criteria of search engine and directory algorithm programs. You can be #5 one day then fall from sight a week later.
Rich content, structure, and proper coding are just some of the vital components of a search friendly site.
Visibility can fluctuate monthly, however, over time, and in some cases, years, my clients continue to benefit from great search engine results for their listing. I am not aware of any other local designer who offers live search links to demonstrate ability and a track record of success. You need this evidence to make an informed decision when selecting a web designer. Ask to see live links to searches for several of their client sites. The search should not contain the site's company name, as most people conducting searches will not know this information when seeking a service or product.
Web Site Cost Recovery
In some instances, the first few online visitors/customers from whom you derive revenue will cover the initial cost of publishing your web site. Thereafter, the rest, as they say, is gravy.