WHY YOU NEED A WEBSITE
Click here to print this page | Open this page in a new window
 
You own your own business and everybody's telling you that you need a website.
So the question is, how do you obtain a website and what can it do for your business?
Some points to consider when deciding whether to have your own site on the Internet:-
 
• Do you want to open up or expand National or International markets for your company?
• Do you want to make markets available that your company may not have had access to before?
• Do you want your customers to see the whole of your product range and be able to purchase with ease?
• Do you want your customers to repeat purchase favored items more easily?
• Do you want to offer your customers faster communication and after sales service by email?
• Do you want to save money in postage and brochure costs by using email order forms and electronic brochures?
 

The majority of business owners are generally over 35 and therefore have not grown up with computers, let alone the Internet as their mode of communication. People of this age group didn't have the opportunity to explore the Internet during their school years, as children do today.

Approximately one third of the U.K. population has access to a personal computer in their home, used often as the children's personal library of information and of course a facility to play games. Due to the demands of a busy schedule, most business owners have difficulty finding the time to learn the skills necessary to navigate their way around the Internet and to generally master the use of a PC. Therefore they often do not appreciate the many benefits of owning their own website. Having a comprehensive website at their disposal offers many benefits, which can include a business profile to enhance their corporate image and the ability to conduct business, nationally and internationally via the Internet. It also offers both the general public and trade businesses the ability to purchase goods over the Internet using electronic shopping facilities.

There are many companies offering web-design Services, but all too often they bewilder the client with their 'techno-jargon' language. There is a general tendency within the computer industry to assume that the public's level of knowledge is the same as, say the Information Technology expert. How many of us have been lost by an expression such as "Search Engines" and "E-Commerce"?

It is important to have the jargon explained to you when setting up a website. You need somebody who empathizes with people's needs, a people-orientated individual who understands the business owners' requirements.

The only reason why many owners of businesses want a website is because they have heard so much about the Internet from other people and the media. So a clear reason for owning a site is the fact that a lot of their business competitors already have a site built and as such have a competitive advantage.

Often the business owner doesn't have the experience to compare the design and functionality of their desired website. So there are very few parameters by which to judge the workmanship of various professional web site builders. Unfortunately, many of the sites that the business owner has looked at lack the workability and more often than not the corporate image that needs to be clearly portrayed for that business. "Many web site design companies let the industry down, either through lack of imagination or poor technical functionality on a site. So, the need for someone with a broad experience of the Internet and who understands business acumen is essential.", states Nick Hartery of NTH Internet Services - http://www.havealook.net
 
There are several points to consider before having a web site built:-
• The first point is that the site needs to look pleasing to the eye. Just think of all the adverts you've ever watched on T.V. that have held your interest, because they are colorful and visually stimulating.
• The next feature needed for a website is for it to be interactive for the user. The site needs to make the user feel like they are having an actual experience.
• Also there needs to be a simple navigation system that gives clear guidelines and directions to the various pages of that site ensuring easy use. Perhaps the most important point is that the site needs to have a personal touch making the user feel a special and valued customer.
 

An example of personalization can be seen when a user is recognized upon entering a site for the second and subsequent times, such as, "Hi John, it's nice of you to visit our site again." Some sites will greet you with, "Hello, Good Morning/Afternoon" and display the time and date.

Other features of interest often considered for web sites, are interactive games incorporating a worldwide scoreboard for your users to play with an opponent internationally. This allows the business concerned to target market a specific audience and thus enables the business to add more user traffic to that site.

Popular features such as chat rooms can be incorporated in a site. Chat rooms allow the users the opportunity to pick out a nickname and discuss anything they want over the Internet with other users. All of these electronic discussions happen in 'real time.' Equally popular are discussion forums, which are often used in a business environment to discuss conventional topics. The discussion forum acts like a message board and is used by posting up messages and then awaiting a reply.

Another strong aspect for a contemporary site is to include features, regular articles, updates of events or ideas for expansion or development. This type of site is very useful for media-based businesses as the stylization fits in with magazine and newspaper content. Adding a feedback email facility on the company's site can offer the user a chance to voice his/her point of view.

E-mail is a very useful tool. This electronic letter can be informal or formal depending on content. In the Business World it is used for ease of communication, speed and file transfer. The application of email is so wide and varied that it is by far the most common usage of the Internet.

Although an electronic brochure of the company profile has been popular for several years as a passive approach to marketing, today, active selling sites, or E-Commerce sites, functioning entirely to sell products to the customer are becoming increasingly more popular giving the consumer the ability to have the products delivered to their door. A necessary service in today's busy consumer lifestyle.

A Web Design and Internet Services Company will often ask questions to categorize a site properly. This information would help ascertain whether a site is purely advertorial or designed to bring in enquiries and sales, or of course both.

A concern voiced by the public when using the Internet to purchase goods is, how safe is the security aspect when using my credit card over the Internet?

The actual answer is that it's no more of a risk than a normal credit card transaction. It's more a case of general media hype. A well-built site will be secured using industry-standard encrypted software on any page carrying sensitive information. This is indicated by displaying a security symbol of whichever web browser the user is operating, most commonly a padlock on Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

The next question that is often asked is, how many customers will visit the site for business and how will they find it?

Using effective classical advertising in the media, to broaden the public awareness, will bring customers to the site. But, using search engines and website directories will achieve the best results. People searching on the Internet with search engine companies, such as Yahoo!, Altavista, HotBot, Lycos, etc. will find the sites that are ranked highly.

Banner advertising is another method used to increase website awareness and usage. Usually it is a rectangular bar advert on one website linking to another website.

When looking for a website design company you need to look for a company that has a professional site and a portfolio of client sites for you to view their work. A relationship with the person in the company who has the authority to make decisions regarding your site is essential. The web design company should have the necessary graphical and technical resources, both in hardware and software.

A fully qualified graphic designer is necessary for a strong graphical presence on a website. Excellent technical ability supplied by fully qualified computer programmers are essential to ensure the site functions properly, especially in the instances of E-Commerce facility sites.

With more than nine million UK households now connected to the Internet, according to the latest figures from NetValue, an Internet monitoring Company. And with a daily UK Internet population of over three million, it is an exciting future for the Internet. Don't be left out. Shouldn't you be considering a web site for your Company?