Making the web work for you - advice from Add Design

Although many people might not like to hear it, the internet is becoming an increasingly important part of everyday business. Every UK based survey shows that people of all ages are going online more often to spend increasing amounts of money and time. This isn't, however, bad news for local businesses. While some people might be buying what they need online, an increasing number are using the internet to find information on the services, shops and entertainment they want locally. Where previously a customer may have played it safe and chosen the biggest supplier, with the internet they can easily find out all they need to know about businesses which are smaller, closer and quite probably better.

This only works, of course, if your business has a website. More importantly, it only works if you have the right website. Accompanying the explosion in internet usage has been an explosion in the ways, means and prices at which you can have a website - from national web companies offering to stick all your company information into a preprepared template, to private individuals who will create you something from scratch.

In choosing the right web designers, it pays to be careful. Know exactly what you want from your website, and make sure your web designer can provide it. At Add Design, almost half of the websites we create are for customers who have already paid once for a website, but have been let down by the way it looks, functions and performs.

Design is all important
Regardless of whether or not you are selling online, a website is much like a shop. If a shop looks dated, messy and uninspiring then as customers we do not go in and buy. We barely even give it a second glance. Likewise with a website. If your website is disorganised, unprofessional and badly designed it reflects directly on your business and just will not attract new customers. Make sure your website is created specifically for your business and your target market. Your chosen web designer should have the skills of a graphic designer, marketeer, and web technician so make sure you see previous websites they have designed before you commit.

Keep it simple and quick loading . . up to a point.
Traditional style web designers will tell you that a quick loading time (the time from clicking onto the website to when the website has fully appeared) is everything. And they are right, up to a point. Every year, the internet gets faster and more people move from dial-up to speedier broadband. A website which loads instantly on the very slowest of internet connections is great, but if your new site is mostly white space with small and grainy pictures, you are already looking dated compared to what is happening on the UK's most popular websites.

Google-friendly
Search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN are one of the key ways people find new websites. Yet you should not expect a sudden appearance at number one in the rankings the second your site is launched. At Add Design we offer customers who need to be high in the rankings a dedicated SEO (search engine optimisation) service, but even with constant attention it can take up to three months to get a website in the top 10. There are many things a web designer can do while building a site to make it more google-friendly. There are also things that you can do - such as asking other websites to put in a link to your new site - which will improve your chances of being listed.

Updating
Think carefully about whether you will need to regularly update information or pictures on your website. Some web designers will attract you with a low initial design fee, but charge a fortune when you need to make a change. Others will promise you free updates, but when it comes to the time simply won't do them. We are constantly taking calls from business owners asking us to make updates to websites designed by other companies. If require constant changes, one option is a self-management website which you can update yourself. If you do this, make sure you have the time and knowhow to update it properly. Many do-it-yourself sites quickly end up looking like an abandoned woodwork project.

E-mail address
In business, your e-mail address can say a lot about you. Using a personal btinternet, yahoo, tiscali or other free e-mail address for your company gives an certain impression of your size and style. All websites should come with the option of an info@yourwebsiteaddress.co.uk.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it If you employ staff, each of them should be able to have their own personal address too. If creating the impression of a professional and modern company is important to you, a dedicated and reliable e-mail service is essential.

Market your website
Many people get a website, and simply leave it on the internet collecting dust. A website can do great things for business, but it must be backed up with promotion. Make sure you put your web address everywhere - on your advertising, on your business stationery, on t-shirts, on your company van or car. It will usually be more memorable than your telephone number. Ask your web designer about promoting it online, or, if they are a design agency like us, about organising a wider campaign. Make sure the 'web stats' are set up so you can see how many people are visiting it. With the internet, it is all about creating momentum and once a website is 'picked-up' online, it can only grow in popularity alongside the amount of business it creates.

ADD DESIGN design and manage outstanding websites for all kinds of businesses, large and small. Our previous clients include many Woodbridge based companies, from beauty salons and hairdressers to timber merchants and construction companies. For more advice on getting the most from the web, and a free quote, please contact us on 01394 460600 .