A guide to affordable small business websites

Business Owner’s Dictionary of Web Design Terms

2009-12-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

(and why you should know them)

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. However, for the small business owner trying to create a website, ignorance could be damaging if not fatal to an online business. Even if you think you know what your website should have and how it should look, sooner or later your website designer will ask you if you want ‘such and such’, or tell you that ‘this and that’ will cost you more. Since ‘knowledge is power’, it’s good business sense to be familiar with the most frequently used website terms. Here’s a synopsis of website words and phrases and why they’re important to know:

Browser
Your browser is software you use to surf the web, like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc. Why it’s important: Different browsers may display websites differently, so you’re site needs to look good in all of them.

Content Management System
Software that allows you to make changes to your website on your own, without hiring a web designer or web maintenance person. Why it’s important: Saves money but only if you have lots of content to maintain and update to justify the initial expense and learning curve.

Copywriting
Page text is sometimes referred to as ‘copy’, like in a newspaper. Copywriting is creating the text for your website. A person who does this for hire is called a ‘copywriter’. Why it’s important: Website text should communicate value to the customer and also be optimized for better search engine positioning.

Design (as in ‘web design’)
Responsible for the overall appearance and user friendliness of the website. This includes determining the number of pages and the layout of text, graphics, links, and color scheme. Why it’s important: The web design of successful sites all have the following in common - relevant content, consistent navigation, appealing layout and color scheme, are search engine friendly, and W3C compliant for functionality and reliability. (see W3C below)

Development (as in ‘web development’ or ‘web developer”)
Anything having to do with the programming side of a website as opposed to its design. Contact and registration forms, chat, and user password protected accounts are a few examples. Why it’s important: Development programming should conform to current standards for reliability and security. This is probably the most expensive component to website creation and should be carefully analyzed to see if it’s really needed.

Flash
A method for adding animation, interactivity and video to web pages. Why it’s important: Flash content can ‘spice up’ a website for a more pleasurable user experience. However, search engines ignore Flash content. So, if your website is predominantly composed of Flash content, search engines won’t index it properly, if at all.

Hosting (as in ‘website hosting’)
An internet service that allows your website to be accessible via the World Wide Web so people can view it. A company independent of your web designer or developer usually performs website hosting. Why it’s important: Hosting plans differ from provider to provider for expense as well as features. Research should be done before signing up with one.

HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language is the basic internet programming scheme used to create a web page. Why it’s important: Most websites are created using HTML. A website created with HTML should conform to current W3C standards for functionality and reliability. (see W3C below)

Java
A programming language for the internet. Java is used to provide interactive features to websites. Examples are rollover links, interactive menus and forms, to name a few. Why it’s important: Quite a number of Java based programs exist offering user interactivity features that can’t be accomplished with HTML. Compared to Flash, Java is cheaper and easier to implement. (see Flash)

Maintenance
Updating website content on a periodic basis. Why it’s important: Search engines notice fresh content. A website that frequently offers something new will position higher in ranking than a site with static content.

SEO
A method to improve positioning in search engine results. SEO analyses how search engines work and what people search for. Optimizing a website for search engines involves editing content and HTML to increase relevance to specific keywords and to remove barriers to search engine indexing. Why it’s important: Implementing SEO as a marketing method is a cost effective alternative to paid ads and ‘pay per click’ strategies. However, the method of SEO implementation should be routinely updated to address the changing ways search engines index websites.

Screen Resolution (of monitors)
Pixels per inch that a monitor can display. You can adjust your monitor’s screen resolution to different settings, for example, 1280 x 1024, 1024 x 768, etc. Why it’s important: First, each monitor functions best at a particular setting (check your owner’s manual). Second, a monitor set to a high screen resolution displays most web pages in their entirety. A web page viewed with a monitor set to a low screen resolution may require horizontal scrolling to see the whole page width. Good web design takes this into account in one of 2 ways: either by specifying a fixed page width at the setting most people currently use, or by having the web page expand or contract to accommodate higher or lower screen resolutions.

Spatial Resolution (of website images)
Describes how closely detail can be resolved in an image and depends on the properties of the system displaying the image. For example, the spatial resolution of monitors is generally 72 pixels per inch (ppi). Why it’s important: The more detail that an image has, the larger the image file size. Images must display quickly, so file sizes must be kept to a minimum. Web designers use image editing software to convert images to the appropriate resolution for online viewing.

W3C Compliant
World Wide Web Consortium is an international organization responsible for developing programming standards for the internet. Why it’s important: W3C standards ensure that a website functions properly with the current technology of the World Wide Web.

Still confused over all these website terms?
Submit your comments and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.

10 ways to drive customers away from your website

2009-08-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Studies and reports abound about what makes a usable and user-friendly e-commerce website. One would think business website owners would ‘get it’ by now. Although the numbers of un-usable and un-user-friendly websites are diminishing, many still exist. It’s hard to tell if these lack luster sites are a result of poor design and layout by the website designer or due to the personal likes and biases of the business owner. What’s interesting to note is that these websites have many design elements in common and behave similarly. Here are ten ways to make it difficult, if not impossible, for a customer to initiate and/or complete a purchase on your website.

Site design -

1. Barrier to site entry: Examples are lengthy flash intros or a home page that’s blank except for a ‘click here for site entry’ link.
2. The one page website: A credible business website has at least three pages – Home, Contact, and About. Anything less, just doesn’t look professional.
3. Hard to read text: White text on a black background is the most common culprit, but other stark color combos also exist. Text that’s too small doesn’t help either.
4. Hard to decipher photos: A customer can’t make an informed buying decision with an undersized photo lacking detail.
5. Site clutter: Not enough white space and no focus on the content makes it hard to figure out what the site is all about.

Site usability -

6. Hard to find contact/shipping/return info: The reason why this drives customers away should be obvious.
7. No phone number: If there’s a problem with an order, people usually prefer speaking to a live body.
8. No physical address: Can’t help but wonder if the business is legit if there’s no real street address.
9. No contact form: A form is a quick and easy way to send a message as opposed to providing a link to an e-mail address. Looks more professional too.
10. Can’t calculate cost of shipping until the bitter end of the purchase: This classic method of frustration still endures.

As online purchasers, we’ve encountered at least one if not more of these types of e-commerce website design bloopers. For further reading on what makes a usable business website refer to these previous posts:
http://www.allcustomwebdesign.com/2009/03/building-blocks-of-business-website.html
http://www.allcustomwebdesign.com/2009/01/how-to-optimize-product-photos-and.html
http://www.allcustomwebdesign.com/2009/02/what-makes-useable-shopping-cart-and.html

As website designers and business owners, we need to imagine ourselves as the customer and honestly ask ‘Would I buy from my own website?’

Do you need a website content management system?

2009-08-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Clients sometimes ask me if there’s a way to update website content on their own. Obviously, they’re trying to eliminate the cost of hiring a web designer to make the updates for them. Most of my clients who make this request have little or no knowledge of website design and maintenance and are unfamiliar with how to upload files to their web server.

A website content management system, or Web CMS, is a software application that allows people without knowledge of website programming to make changes to their website and upload the files. When clients ask if they should get a Web CMS, the answer I give is ‘maybe'.

Whether or not a Web CMS will work for a business depends on it’s cost, the learning curve associated with getting it up and running, and how large and complex the website is.

The cost of a Web CMS ranges from free at the low end, a couple of thousand dollars midrange, to hundreds of thousands of dollars at the high end. I’ve read reviews of free Web CMS programs that are very good although somewhat limited in functionality compared to their paid counterparts. Simple changes can also be made with a text editor like Notepad if one knows how to recognize html tags and upload files to the server.

Although designed for non-technical people, there’s a learning curve associated with using any Web CMS. This learning curve can last anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes or longer. If a client doesn’t have technical expertise, I usually suggest they hire a webmaster to help with setup.

Before you purchase a Web CMS, ask the following:

Do you have a large website, 10 or more pages?
Are you changing content frequently? Example: e-commerce
Are you updating the website in collaboration with others?
Do you have confidence to setup the software on your own?

If the answers to these questions are all ‘yes’, a Web CMS would be a good idea. If the answer to any one question is ‘no’, you might want to rethink the idea of a Web CMS. Paying a webmaster to make limited and infrequent updates may be more economical and time saving in the end.

Advertise a business website with search engines and free directories

2009-06-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sources for free advertising exist on the internet and they’re not hard to find. The key to generate good leads from free advertising is to carefully select search engines and directories which are most likely to benefit your website.

First, let’s look at search engines. Ads abound from companies that will submit your website to ‘hundreds of search engines’ for a fee. Years ago, many search engines had their own database of websites, so it was beneficial to get listed on as many search engines as possible for maximum exposure.

Today, although numerous search sites still exist, the majority get their information from just a few of the ‘top’ search sites. Submitting your website to hundreds of search engines is no longer necessary. Simply submit your website for free to these core search sites: Google, Yahoo, Msn, and Ask. Make sure that you also submit a site map. A site map tells the search engine what pages are on your website and where they are within your site for proper indexing. Your webmaster or website designer knows how to do this.

Now, let’s consider web directories. Again, numerous directories exist that will list your website for a fee. Some of these directories are useful and worth the money. However, many are not. The largest difference between paid and free directories is that the free ones require a reciprocal link from your website to theirs. This is only fair considering that there’s no charge for the listing. A free directory has the potential of increasing website traffic if carefully selected for key features. Here are things to look for when submitting your website to a directory:

The directory should be targeted to your business niche or have a category directly relating to it.
Ideally, should also be categorized by location, i.e., state and city.
The directory site should have a high Google page rank.
Listing includes a direct link to your website.
Allows at least a 200 character description of your website and/or links to a dedicated page.
Listings are ordered alphabetically (not that important, but great if you’re name is at the top of the abc’s).

Before submitting your site to a directory, check out the number, type, and quality of the websites already listed. A directory with only a few listings (unless the directory is a start-up), poor quality websites or websites that don’t appear credible, rife with spelling and grammar errors, may indicate that the directory merely gathers e-mail addresses and phone numbers for spammers and telemarketers. Do some research; check out the websites already listed. There’s no sure thing in advertising, but with careful planning and wise selection, good use can be made of the free options that are already available.

Writing for your website - tips and techniques

2009-03-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

Whether or not you choose to hire a professional copywriter to create content for your website, be aware that writing for the internet is a bit different than writing for printed collateral.

Writing for print captures reader interest with introductory phrases, sentences, and sometimes whole paragraphs before arriving at an article’s main point. Readers find it relatively easy to flip a magazine page or brochure panel to look for additional information.

In contrast, website visitors are impatient. If important information is not readily available, they will move on quickly. Most website visitors are lazy. Scrolling through long articles or clicking on links, hopping from page to page, isn’t fun. Therefore, website text must be concise and to the point.

You’ve got a lot of information to present to your website visitors. How do you coax them to remain at your site, look for more information, and ultimately make a purchase? Here are some website writing tips that (hopefully) will keep visitors at your website:

Select a readable font size - 10 points minimum, preferably 12 to 14 points.
Font color – Black text on a white background is easiest to read for most people. Except for small areas of emphasis, avoid very light text on a very dark background, i.e., white text on a black background.
Locate important information at the top of the page – Grab your reader’s attention with a descriptive, but brief, tag line followed by a summary of the major points.
Keep paragraphs short – Feed content to your visitors bit by bit. Information can be scanned quickly, and is more easily understood and retained.
Eliminate fluff – Useless text clutters the page. Descriptive words and phrases work well only when used to convey additional information about the product or service.
Stay on topic – Except for the home page which summarizes your products and services, each web page should address one topic and all content should be relevant to that topic.
Get feedback – This is very important. After you write your website copy, solicit the opinion of relatives, friends, and colleagues before your site goes live. Is it readable? Is it understandable? Is it interesting? If your acquaintances don’t know what you’re talking about, neither will your customers.

Good luck. After you launch your website, it’s a good idea to perform a monthly check of your text to make sure it’s still relevant and makes sense.

About All Custom Web Design writing services for the internet:
Web Page Text Writing and SEO Copywriting

The building blocks of a business website

2009-03-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

Many people starting an internet business are overwhelmed by the number of choices that exist regarding what their website should look like and how it should function. Advances in web programming and the proliferation of reliable web authoring software make it possible to do almost anything with today’s website. In a previous post on business website design , we considered the pros and cons of template vs. custom design and described the fundamentals of a business website, ie, Home, About, and Contact pages. We’ll now discuss the basic building blocks which every website needs to satisfy visitors and encourage return visits.

Block One. Website content must be clearly focused on the ‘value proposition’. This means that, at a quick glance, your website must address what kinds of products and services are offered, how these products and services will be of benefit, and what is the promise for reliability and customer support.

Block Two. Information on the site must be relevant to the business. Limit web page text optimization to a few keywords and keyphrases. In this way, the website remains focused on the product and will rate higher in search engines.

Block Three. Provide information appropriate for the intended audience. It’s not a good idea to make your website everything to everyone. Direct your website copy to those people who will most likely be interested in your product or service.

Block Four. The website must be user-friendly. This means simple, reliable interface and navigation, easy link identification, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

Block Five - Website design layout, text and graphics should support efficient and easy search engine indexing.

I haven’t told you anything you couldn’t have figured out on your own. The point is not to get inundated by the numerous options that exist for website design layout and not to make poor decisions when faced with inherently bad design, even though it may look cool. Stay focused on the task at hand – building a usable, profitable website.

Should I use Flash effects in my business website?

2009-02-17T11:52:00.000-08:00

Most everyone agrees that Flash effects offer a lot of eye candy. However, is eye candy necessary or beneficial for a business website? It depends on what type of business you have. The consequence of using Flash can be anywhere from extremely productive to absolutely harmful. After a brief discussion of what Flash is, we’ll look at the benefits and disadvantages of using Flash content for a business website.

What is Flash? Currently developed by Adobe, Flash is a way to add animation and interactivity to a website. Examples include advertisements, mouse rollover effects, and picture slide shows. Flash also enables video to be integrated into web pages. The Adobe Flash Player, available for free, enables a web browser to display Flash content.

What are the benefits of using Flash? Flash design saves space on a web page making layout easier and adds to the overall visual appeal of the website. For example, a long list of items can be displayed using one collapsible drop down menu. Clicking on a link can activate a pop up window containing a video or photo slide show. Link identification is clearer with mouse rollover effects. Flash can also simplify the process of filling out online forms.

What are the disadvantages of using Flash? The two primary issues associated with the extensive use of Flash website design is accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO).

Despite the ease with which Flash displays multimedia, Flash design may actually detract from website usability because text selection, scrollbar usage, and mouse right-clicking may act differently than with a non-Flash web page. Disabled visitors may not be able to benefit from Flash effects, and website accessibility may be limited. For example, people who are visually impaired, or who need large text fonts and/or high contrast color schemes, may find Flash sites unusable. Also, people who do not have the Flash Player installed and active on their computers cannot view a Flash website at all. Those who do, may have Flash or pop up blockers installed and won’t see the Flash effects anyway.

As for SEO, don’t expect natural search methods to yield great results with a Flash website. Flash content is invisible to search engines. Websites that are based on Flash design must resort to more expensive paid advertising techniques to get search engine visibility. If your website relies on SEO for traffic, a Flash site is not for you.

What kind of websites should utilize Flash? Multimedia and entertainment websites that require a heavy use of sound and video can benefit a lot from Flash design. Medium to large e-commerce websites can use Flash to more efficiently display products and streamline the ordering process.

The bottom line is to look closely at your requirements and see if you really need a Flash website. If possible, try to minimize Flash design. Your website will cost less to build and promoting it will be easier.

View samples of flash ad and banner design:
Interactive Websites With Multimedia Flash Effects

Ways to increase website traffic and sales – open a dialogue with your customers

2009-02-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

In the early days of online retailing, websites were one-way monologues. This method of internet marketing persists even today. However, many online businesses are learning that maintaining a two-way dialogue with customers can boost sales and visits to their website.

People naturally like to talk, express an opinion, and say what’s on their mind. When we engage in conversation with our customers, we’re saying: ‘We value your opinion; we want to know what you think.’ This gives people a warm feeling of being considered important and in control. No longer are they staring at the equivalent of an online billboard, but are actually interacting with us. We’ve created a bond with our customers that encourage sales and return visits.

Here are some ideas to initiate and maintain a dialogue with your website visitors:

Make use of a feedback form
Create a blog
Include live chat
Add social publishing

A feedback form and blog is inexpensive, if not free, to implement. When hosted on your website, a blog increases website hits and may also increase search engine page rank. Live chat and social publishing can require modest to significant financial outlay but may be very advantageous as your site grows in size and popularity.

Whichever methods you use, make sure that your website or blog is frequently updated with new, relevant content and visitor input. Let people know that someone is home and ready to listen.

What makes a useable shopping cart and easy form entry.

2009-02-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

The user interface criteria for shopping carts and forms are pretty much the same. For brevity, we’ll look at the shopping cart and conclude with a brief discussion on form entry.

No matter how great the service or product, your website shopping cart can create happy customers or have them running from you with a mere click. Shopping cart abandonment occurs primarily because the shopper doesn’t know how to complete a transaction. As a business website owner, focus your concern on the functionality of your shopping cart. (Leave the design details to the web designer.) A useable shopping cart must have these features if you want keep customers:

Easily understood
User friendly
All charges clearly listed
Merchant account provider prominently specified

What’s an ‘easily understood’ shopping cart? The answer can be different to different people. The basics are that the shopping cart should be easy to find on the website, how to add and remove items, and how to review all items and charges before hitting the ‘buy’ button.

A ‘user friendly’ shopping cart means all of the above in addition to being easy for the shopper to change information. For example, suppose I want to change my shipping address. I hit my browser’s ‘back’ button assuming I can just make my changes. I find that I must now reenter all information, not only the information I want to change. Some shopping carts display an ‘edit’ button to change information, but one can’t assume the customer will use it.

‘All charges clearly listed’ means just that – charges for products purchased as well as sales tax and shipping charges. Let shoppers know the full amount of the purchase before they submit credit card information and place the order. Don’t let valued customers wait for their credit card statements to figure out how much they were charged for tax and shipping.

Let your customers know who processes your credit card transactions. This information can be a credibility boost for a new business. Many shoppers will look for this information if they are new to your website.

The criteria for easy form entry is essentially ‘user friendly’, meaning that it should be simple to go back and reenter only the information that needs changing. To eliminate automated form entries, many websites use a method where the visitor is shown a combination of letters and must enter this information before the form can be submitted. Some of these letter combos are so difficult to decipher that robots, as well as real people, are unable to use the form. I prefer the method where the visitor is asked to solve a simple math problem. Numbers are easier to read.

The only way you’ll know if you've got a usable shopping cart is by testing. Before your website goes live, assemble a group of five to ten people and see if they can complete a simple purchase using your shopping cart. Even after your website goes live, conduct customer surveys to monitor the usability of your shopping cart and be prepared to make changes as needed to meet the needs of your customers.

How to optimize product photos and boost sales

2009-01-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

Online shoppers look good and hard at the photograph of an item before buying. Your website photos could make or break a sale. Top quality product photos that encourage sales have the following characteristics:

Clear and sharp
Front, side, and rear views
Large enough to show details
Accurate color
High contrast
Fast download

Clear and sharp – means just that. No blurry outlines. Identification of the product should be obvious.

Front, side, and rear views – gives the buyer a good idea of the overall dimensions of the product. Important especially for tech gadgets such as computers and cameras that have connectors on the side and back.

Large enough to show details – buyers are frustrated when they see a little blob and have to guess what it is or what it does. Enough said.

Accurate color – especially important for clothing, shoes, and accessories. Ensuring that the product exhibits accurate color online can minimize customer returns.

High contrast – one should easily be able to distinguish the item from the background. Light against dark or vice versa. The product should ‘pop’ from its background.

Fast download – online shoppers don’t like to wait and will abandon a site before a long download is complete. For a quick appearance, limit your photos to no more than 50kb in size, preferably less.

As a buyer, what are some of the things you would like to see in product photos?

Coming up in my next post . . . How to keep customers coming back with useable shopping carts and forms.

How do I promote my website so customers will find my business?

2009-01-21T14:08:00.000-08:00

Most small companies have a limited budget, so we’ll focus on marketing methods such as SEO, link exchanges, and submission to search engines and directories. We’ll conclude with a brief discussion of other advertising options.

SEO (search engine optimization), also known as ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ search, is a method where keywords and keyphrases are integrated into web page text. A website has a greater probability of appearing ahead of other search engine listings if the website text contains words and phrases most people would use to inquire about a product or service. Unique page titles and text layout also contribute to effective SEO. Other than paying a web designer to implement this method, there is no cost to drive traffic to your site with SEO.

Exchanging links with other websites is also valuable method for site promotion, especially for new businesses. You put a link to them on your website; they put a link to you on their website. Ideally, the best websites for a link exchange are those with high page rank. (Page rank is a method used by Google to determine the importance of a web page.) It’s best to link with a website that’s not competing with your business.

Another important step in website promotion is to get listed with the major search engines. Most search websites obtain results from only a few big search engines. It makes sense to submit your site to only these few. My favorites are Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Ask. A sitemap should also be submitted because it helps search engine robots find all pages on the site. Indexing your site becomes easier and quicker.

Getting listed in directories specializing in your type of business is also a very useful way to market your website. Most directories allow a free listing if you agree to link to them from your site. As with other link exchanges, try to list with high page rank directories.

Many advertisers are using affiliate marketing techniques to promote their website. In brief, a customer visits the affiliate site and is directed to the actual seller of the product. The seller then compensates the affiliate for the referral. Affiliate marketing works very well but may not be suitable for everyone. For more information, how it works, and the pros and cons of affiliate marketing, visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiliate_marketing.

PPC (pay per click) search is basically a bidding war where you compete for keywords with other advertisers for your target market. You decide how much you want to spend per keyword. Winning the bid puts your website at the head of the pack. Another PPC method is where an advertiser pays only when a visitor clicks on an ad to visit the advertiser’s website.

In conclusion, a variety of unpaid and paid internet marketing options exist for small business websites. Thorough research is needed as to what type of advertising would produce the best results for your particular market. Consult your web designer to help you decide what would work best for your business and budget.

About All Custom Web Design SEO services:
Website Promotion Services, SEO Analysis, Natural Search Methods For Internet Marketing

If you’ve discovered a novel internet marketing method, comment on this post and let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . How to optimize photos of your product and boost online sales.

Template or custom web design - which type is best for a business website?

2009-01-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

Template or custom design?
A template is a predefined layout of where text and graphics go on the web page. Colors are predetermined as well. Few, if any, changes can be made to either layout or color scheme. Designers may offer a variety of templates to choose from and template website design is usually cheaper than its custom counterpart. The obvious disadvantage is that you can’t change the template’s appearance. If your website is small, i.e., a few pages, and content is minimal, you may benefit from the savings of a website template.

Custom web design gives you the opportunity to expand text and graphics as needed for a growing business. The look and feel of the website is tailored to your business identity because the layout and color scheme is totally flexible. Custom website designers may also offer programming services to create secure e-mail forms and protected web pages.

What are the basics of a business website?
A minimum of three pages is typical for a small website – Home, Contact, and About pages. A business should strongly consider having a Privacy page as well. The Home page must contain the information your customer is looking for to keep that person at the website and should clearly answer the following questions: What do you sell? What do you promise for customer support and product reliability? How will I find a specific item on your website? These questions should be answered in the top half of your Home page to for quick visibility.

A well designed Home page layout is uncluttered with efficient access to other parts of the website. All links should be easily recognized as such and should be the same color for all the web pages. Each page must let the visitors know where they are relative to other areas of the website. Flash design for an e-commerce site should be minimal or nonexistent because some visitors may not have the Flash Player software needed to view Flash effects.

The Contact page should be easily accessible from all website pages and provide basic contact information such as phone number and e-mail. Consider including your actual physical location as well. Customers are more inclined to buy from a company when an actual street address is provided in addition to a P.O. Box or e-mail address.

Business owners tend to put great effort into a dynamic Home page and pay little attention to their About page. Although the Home page is very important and provides entry into a website, the About page may make or break your relationship with the customer. Who are you? How and why did you start your business? How long have you been in business? Any business, especially start-up companies, should answer these questions to enhance credibility and encourage customer confidence.

Where do we go from here?

It all depends on your type of business. An e-commerce website needs a secure shopping cart to process orders. An efficient method to display items for sale is also necessary. Media and entertainment websites use Flash effects to enhance website appeal and effectively display content. Financial websites require a secure login form to access customer accounts. An experienced website designer can help you decide what’s needed for a productive business website.

For more information on building a business website:
Four steps to successful web design and development.

Got suggestions for business website design? Comment on this post and let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . How do I promote my website so customers will find my business?

What questions should I ask a web designer?

2009-01-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Before committing time and money building a website, it pays to ask your web designer some very important questions:

Do you build websites for businesses like mine?
Although not a prerequisite, it helps if a designer has created websites for businesses similar to yours. You may learn valuable information about what works and what doesn’t for a website devoted to your business niche.

Do you charge a flat fee or by the hour?
A flat fee is best because you know up front what your website will cost. Services such as providing and/or altering photos, writing and/or proofreading text, promotion, SEO, registering the domain name, hosting account setup, and website maintenance may incur additional charges, so be sure to ask.

Do you provide photos for the website?
If not, ask for links to free stock photo sites. Many do exist and provide quality photos free for both personal and commercial use.

Are you willing to alter the photos?
For the most cost effective website, try to use photos ‘as is’. Don’t assume your designer has the skills or willingness to change colors and backgrounds, or, add and remove things from your photos.

Will you write the text for the website?
Since you, the website owner, know your business the best, it’s probably better to write your own text. Be aware, that some web designers don’t offer this service at all. Those who do, most likely will charge extra.

What do you offer for website promotion and SEO (search engine optimization)?
A website has little value if no one can find it. Shop around and learn what is considered a fair price for website promotion and SEO services. This is one aspect of website ownership that should not be overlooked.

Will you help me register a domain name?
If you’re willing to spend a little time shopping for the best price, registering a domain name is something you can easily do yourself. If you feel uneasy, or don’t have the time, your designer probably can help.

Will you help me find a web host and setup my account?
This is a valuable service, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the many options that exist for website hosting. If you’re not tech savvy in this area, it pays to get help.

How long will it take to design my website?
Website design may take anywhere from a few weeks to months, depending on the number of pages and content. Be sure to provide your designer with ample time to schedule your project in the workflow. Rush jobs usually incur additional cost.

Do you offer website maintenance?
Many designers offer this service. Some don’t. Be sure to ask.

How often can I update my website and what is the turnaround time?
Once a month updates are fairly typical of many websites. If you’re in the business of selling products over the internet, you may need more frequent updates. Try to submit all changes in periodic increments rather than in bits and pieces because it will be cheaper if you do. See if you can negotiate a monthly update package.

Comment on this post and let me know what questions you have about web design and pricing.

Coming up in my next post . . . What type of design and content is best for my business website?

Where to find an expert web designer

2009-01-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

The most popular places to look for web designers are among personal friends, the phone book, or the internet. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of each so you can make an informed decision as to who you want to design a website for your business.

Getting web design services from friends is good for your pocketbook. Friends, if they really are friends, won’t charge much if at all to design your site. The questions you need to ask are:

Does your friend have the knowledge and experience to design a website?
Is web design your friend’s primary occupation with ample time to devote to your project?
Will this person be available to troubleshoot any problems that may arise in the future?

If the answers are ‘yes’, then great. If not, don’t let low cost web design cloud good business sense.

The telephone directory may be an effective way to find a web designer, although the internet makes this method somewhat dated. Make sure that the web design company also has its own website where you can view samples of their work online. Since the cost of yellow page ads is high, not every local designer will be listed.

Your best bet to find a professional website designer is probably online. The cost of internet advertising has decreased over the years and most design firms and freelancers are listed in either the search engines or online directories.

When using the search engines, it’s helpful to vary the keywords and sometimes their order. For example, using the terms ‘website designer’ may yield different results than ‘web designer’ or ‘web site designer’. Similarly, results may vary for ‘Torrance CA website designer’ versus ‘website designer Torrance CA’. The big advantage of using the internet is that you have access to designers nationwide, information about the company, and their design portfolio.

Locating a web designer via an online directory is extremely useful. Perform a search engine query for ‘web designer directory’ or something similar. Many directories are categorized by state and city to make it easy to find a local company. Most directories have a brief description of the firm, areas of expertise, and a link to the company website.

One last tip. Some people are uneasy working with a person or company they’re not familiar with. Most companies ask for at least a one third deposit to start design work. How do you know if the company is even legitimate and won’t take your money and run? Word of mouth recommendations are always best. If you don’t have a recommendation, check online to see if there are complaints about the company. If not, proceed with a small job. For example, have the company create only the home page. If you’re satisfied, you can then move on to have them work on the rest of the website.

Have you worked with a website designer? How did you find that person or company? Comment on this post and let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . What questions should I ask a web designer?

How to secure a domain name

2008-12-30T13:06:00.000-08:00

You've decided on a name for your website and learned that it's available. You need to register the name to secure ownership. There are several ways to do this. You can register the domain name and host the website with the same company, or, register the domain name with one company and host the website with another company.

Let’s look at option one. The financial benefit is that companies that provide both registration and hosting may offer package discounts to get your business. Another advantage is that you have only one control panel to view your registration and hosting information. The downside to this arrangement is that if you’re dissatisfied with the quality of website hosting, you must transfer the domain name to a new registrar when you find a new host. Although some companies will offer to let you keep the name registered with them, you’ll pay a higher (non-discounted) yearly fee. In practice, when problems arise, more website owners tend to be unhappy with the quality of hosting than with name registration.

Option two has the advantage of keeping your registrar and web host separate in case problems occur. Also, companies that are exclusively a domain name registrar may offer discounts to sign up for a period of several years instead of just one. The drawback is that the procedure is a bit more time consuming because you sign up with two companies. Accessing information about your domain name and site also means logging into separate accounts on each provider website.

As a web designer, I suggest the following approach to obtain a domain name:

Shop around for the best price like you would for anything else
Read independent reviews of registrar and hosting companies
Keep your domain name registration and website hosting separate
At sign up, make sure you’re listed as the owner of the domain name, not the registrar
If the web host offers a trial period, use it

Comment on this post with any good tips on domain name registration or website hosting.

Coming up in my next post . . . Find an expert web designer.

What makes a good domain name

2008-12-26T14:41:00.000-08:00

The number of online businesses has soared in recent years and it seems as if every good word or phrase for a name is already taken. Not so. With some insight and a lot of patience, it’s still possible to create a dynamic domain name for your internet business.

First, get away from the computer. Sit down with pencil and paper and write down all the adjectives you can think of that describes your business. Make a list of individual words as well as phrases. Try various combinations and see what works to describe your business. You’re not done yet.

Second, look at tricks to boost domain name visibility for search engines and directories. Being near the top of the alphabet still has advantages. Create a name starting with A, B, or C. This technique works especially well with alphabetical order listings in directories. Sure, Google and Yahoo aren’t at the top of the alphabet but remember that these companies spent millions creating an identity. Most small start-ups don’t have that kind of cash.

Third, try to have your domain name in your url. For example, a fictitious business called My Handy Widgets can have a url of myhandywidgets.com or my-handy-widjets.com. Your website may have a better chance of appearing in the top search results if someone types words which appear in your url.

Forth, a usable domain name should be easy to spell. Although many people will use a mouse click to bookmark the site, some may still just type the name into their browsers.

Fifth, perform an exhaustive search to ensure the name isn’t already being used. Most web hosting companies offer a lookup service so you can check if the domain name is available. Recently, some web hosts have come under fire for placing a ‘hold’ on names searched for on their sites. A better way may be to simply type the url into your browser and see if anything comes up. If you get a ‘site not found’ message, chances are the name is available.

One last tip. Some website owners prefer to use their own name as a domain name, i.e., johndoe.com. That’s fine, but remember to respond promtly when your site name comes up for renewal and pay the required fees on time. Also, think about how long you’ll want to run an online business. Is your business venture long term? Short term? In any case, remember that once the
domain name expires due to non-renewal, it’s up for grabs. Someone else may acquire your name.

In conclusion, there’s no such thing as a ‘sure fire’ domain name that guarantees success on the web. However, you can improve your chances of being found with the tips just described.

What do you think makes a good domain name? Comment on this post and let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . How to secure a domain name.

How to minimize website design and maintenance costs

2008-12-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

For start-up small businesses, developing an online presence can be a major investment. Expenses include domain name registration, website hosting, design, and maintenance.

The first two items are relatively easy and inexpensive. Affordable online resources exist for registration and hosting. The price of web design and maintenance can vary quite a lot for a number of reasons as mentioned in the previous post.

Keep website design and maintenance costs low by including only essential content and graphics. Stay away from adding ‘fluff’ or ‘decoration’ to the site. Examples include an overabundance of pictures, textured page backgrounds, and ornamental page borders. From a design perspective, these things are unnecessary and detract from the usefulness of the site. If the content doesn’t reinforce the product or message, it doesn’t belong on the website.

Be aware that various types of website development may incur additional expense such as flash design, programming, proofreading, copywriting, and photo editing. Flash design includes animation and insertion of music or video. Web programming is needed to create e-mail and feedback forms, advanced flash animation, and login protected areas of a site. Proofreading typically means checking for spelling errors but may also include a check for correct grammar usage. Photo editing entails anything that alters the original picture such as cropping, changing colors or background, and adding or removing objects.

Once you and your designer have finalized website layout and content, changes in these areas will result in extra design work and hourly charges. Spend a lot of time thinking about what you want your website to do, then stick by that decision. If you need to make changes, try to make small ones. A major layout overhaul will cost you.

Keep website maintenance costs in check with regular monthly updates. Usually it’s easier and more efficient to make all updates at once than to make small changes over a period of days or weeks. Your designer can schedule your job in a timely manner and you won’t be hit with charges for a ‘rush job’.

Here’s a summary of the tips to reduce the price of web design and maintenance:

include only essential content
minimize or omit the use of flash
write and proofread your own web page text
use photos ‘as is’
reduce, preferably eliminate, changes to layout or content
implement all updates at one time

Your web designer will thank you and you’ll have an affordable website.

As a business website owner, what roadblocks do you encounter, financial or otherwise, when developing your website? Let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . What makes a good domain name?

How much does a professional website cost?

2008-12-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

Before we can answer this question, we need to define what a professional website is and the work that goes into making one.

Assuming that your designer is competent, a professional website is made using industry standard software. Software of this type is considered to offer maximum creative freedom, functionality, and reliability by the majority of web designers. I'm not trying to promote Adobe, but it so happens that most web design companies and freelance designers use Dreamweaver, Flash, and Fireworks for their web authoring work.

What goes into building a professional website? First, there's the cost of the web design software itself and the steep learning curve of how to use it. The web designer must also have an artistic sensibility to create an esthetically pleasing design that is both functional and usable. Knowledge of basic skills in the various internet programming languages is also necessary. The web designer must also possess marketing savvy for effective website promotion and keep current with the latest trends in internet marketing.

Back to our original question.
The cost of website design can be moderate to expensive. It depends on what you want. ( That's why you should read my previous post and get the requirements nailed down. ) The average prices mentioned here assumes custom design. A basic website, similar to an online brochure, can run anywhere from $500 to $1000 for five pages. I know this is a wide price range. At the very least, expect to pay roughly $100 per web page. Beyond the basic website, you may also want flash effects, specialized programming, etc. Sites of this type can and do run into thousands of dollars. Shop around for the best price. Be aware that like with anything else, you get what you pay for.

Have you shopped around for web design prices? Do you think prices for website design are reasonable?
Comment on this post and let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . How to minimize web design and maintenance costs.

What every business website should have

2008-12-17T16:58:00.000-08:00

In basic terms, a profitable website must contain the information, product, or service that your customer is looking for. To retain site visitors and encourage repeat visits (stickiness), the home page should clearly present the following:

The products and services offered
Why these products and services are of value
Promise for customer support
Accurate product reliability information
How customers will find these things on the site
Trust and credibility

The above points are called the ‘value proposition’. When the value proposition is clearly stated, customers learn that the site has what they’re looking for and how these items will satisfy their need. The last point assures customers your business is for real, explains why they should purchase from you, that they can safely purchase from your site, and you’ll be around for customer support if needed.

Before even contacting a web designer, determine what you want your site to do. This will determine what kind of website is right for your business, how large the site will be, and the cost of design and maintenance. Make a list of your online goals and see if they include any or all of the following:

Sell products
Provide a service
Provide information
Have secure areas for customer accounts
Offer a method for user feedback

You now know what you want and require from your website. You and your web designer can now move on to build a successful website for your business.

What do you think every business website should have?
Comment on this post and let me know.

Coming up in my next post . . . How much does a professional website cost?

Welcome

2008-12-14T20:19:00.001-08:00

Hi!
I'm glad you're here with me to learn about making a website for your growing business.

Good communication between client and designer is a must to build a successful website. My experience in designing websites over the years is that some clients aren’t sure of what to expect from their website or a website designer. As a result, designers aren’t sure what the client really wants in a website. The end result is that the client may end up with an expensive, unsuccessful website.

Over the course of several posts, we’ll proceed step by step on the path to an affordable small business website by addressing the following:

· What every business website should have
· How much does a professional website cost
· How to minimize website design and maintenance costs
· What makes a good domain name
· How to secure a domain name
· Where to find an expert web designer
· Questions to ask a web designer
· What type of design and content is best for a business website
· How to promote a website

These are just a few of the things we’ll be looking at. Note that "What makes a good domain name?' is not the first question to ask when developing an internet business.

Please let me know what other topics you would like to see on this blog. I learn so much from my clients. Your input is needed and appreciated. Thanks for visiting!