if you're a small business owner with a website, you probably (hopefully) spent a considerable amount of time deciding what information should be on your homepage, and what visitors will look for when they get there.
if you haven't done that, please take this as your cue to do so.
for those of you that have, you probably thought about what your brand and primary messages are, or even how to answer the most common questions about your business. whether you choose to address those issues on the homepage, or just use the home page to lead visitors in to the answers, those are the top questions that most business owners consider immediately.
but then there are questions that you may not have considered immediately that you should also consider. some of these include...
- is your business/service/product easily understood by the language of your homepage?
- do you have any attempts at collecting visitor information (i.e. email addresses, contact info) on your site or on your homepage?
- how do you address updates to your business/product/service on your homepage, or do you at all?
- are you using the prime real estate of your homepage to draw the visitor in to find out more, or does your site steer them away from 'digging in' for more information?
- what is the visitor's initial reaction to you homepage likely to be, and is it the reaction you are looking for?
i wish sincerely there was one simple answer to how to do all these things for a site, but the answers are subjective to both your business and your audience. what i can tell you is that these are just a few of the questions you should be asking, and answering, when a visitor finds your site.
while many small business owners manage their websites themselves, and many of them successfully, it can sometimes help to gain the perspective and experience of a professional Internet marketing guru to help make your site and messaging more effective. someone with experience in the media, as well as one with a perspective on your business and how it best sells itself, can make a vital difference in attaining the goals you set for your website.
what, you haven't set goals for your site? OK, guess we'll have to jump on that one next time.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
CMS = Cool, Must See.... or Why building a site with Drupal is a really a great idea
if you are a small business owner with a website, one of the most frustrating aspects of that can be dealing with site updates. whether you are a restaurant with a new menu, or realtor with a new listing, you want to be able to tell your visitors and customers about what you have that's new and exciting.
five years ago, i had very few clients who cared to update their sites themselves. they were busy running their businesses and didn't have time to think about their sites much, let alone update them. i was frequently pestering clients to send me new information so that we could keep their sites fresh and exciting.
boy, how a recession can change things.
today my clients are more actively involved in their marketing than i have ever seen. some do it because they realize that their active participation in marketing makes a positive direct impact on their sales figures. some are involved because they realize that they never had much in the way of marketing plans, and that fact is affecting their business growth. some are becoming involved because, for the first time, they've actually had to think about how their brand impression affects their business, since business isn't just walking through the door anymore.
whatever the reason, i now have many clients looking to me to provide them with some kind of CMS (Content Management System) to help them maintain their website content. a CMS allows a non-technical user whose computer experience is limited to internet browsers and word processing documents to edit the text, pictures and other related content items on their website. the user just logs in to their website and can click and type to make their changes, no coding experience needed.
back in the early turn of the century, using a CMS usually meant having a very 'cookie cutter' site. the CMS systems available came from large providers who limited what you could change, what colors you could use, and even at times, what images were available to you. in general, most of the sites were pretty ugly, but you could update it yourself. not necessarily great for your company's brand impression, but then, at least your content was current.
but today there are a great many CMS system options available, and by partnering with a web development/design professional, you can still have a very custom and attractive site that gives a very professional brand impression, but is something you can still update yourself. for my clients who are newly active in their online marketing, it's the perfect solution without any sacrifices.
among the available CMS systems, Drupal is one of the most popular among both developers and designers. without going into a lot of technical discussion, let's just say that developers find it very cool b/c we can do a lot with it in terms of functionality, and designers like it b/c we have the flexibility in design to give you a very custom look and feel that enhances your brand. these are the two major limitations to most CMS systems that have kept most businesses from jumping on the CMS bandwagon.
but with Drupal, those limitations are gone. here are two recent sites I've worked on that use a Drupal framework, both of which allow their site owners to control content as they need. what's interesting is that each of these sites has it's own custom feel and functionality, developed for the business behind it, and yet each has the complete customization capability that the site owner needs to keep content fresh:
so Drupal as a CMS, is pretty cool. i won't tell you it's the easiest CMS for some clients to learn, especially those with particular computer phobias, but once they have been trained (which usually takes less than an hour), everyone comes back very happy with their site on many levels... design, functionality, performance and self-editing capability.
if you're a small business looking for a way to build and manage your own website, without sacrificing the presentation quality and brand impression you need to be successful, then i encourage you to check out Drupal. you won't be disappointed.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
why you need to be friended... or social media for the small business
most of my clients are small businesses, mom and pop shops, or family businesses that support more than one family through their income. and when you think of the typical mom and pop shop, the last thing you imagine is, 'i wonder what's up on their facebook page' or 'what are they tweeting about today'. after all, it seems a bit silly to tweet about the latest haircut that you just finished, or the great new lunch a customer just ate.
or does it?
increasingly our society has become very social-media minded. everyone is on facebook, from tween and teens to gen x- and y-ers to babyboomers... even some grandparents. sites like facebook give non-techies the opportunity to use technology to share their lives and communicate with friends both close and far away. it keeps them connected with younger generations, as well as reuniting with old friends. social media sites give every consumer the power of really using the internet to communicate for themselves, not just listen to what everyone else has to say.
and let's face it, it's kinda fun.
but most small businesses don't realize the opportunity that social media also brings to them for reaching out to customers. and THAT is where the opportunity truly lies.
facebook, twitter, myspace and other social media sites are places where friends virtually gather. and since i (as a consumer) am more likely to patronize a business that my friends recommend, what better way for you to connect with me than through my friends.
now before you go running off and creating a social media account on every provider site you can find, please remember that like any media outlet, you should use social media judiciously. here are a few tips:
1. know the rules of the site
understand both how to post, and what kinds of postings are allowed. don't be a rule-breaker, your account could be canned and your image severely hurt.
2. check your account frequently
the last think you want is to appear negatively, and lack of postings or responses will certainly come off that way to regular users of the media.
3. remember what it is for
your social media site is not and should not be a replacement for your regular business marketing website. it should be a place where you can reach out to customers and potential customers to inspire conversation and feedback that help your business.
4. set up the right account for your business
if you are trying to reach baby boomers, you might not want to bother with social media sites targeted toward tweens. know your media outlet (or ask a professional for advice) and target your site so that you are reaching the right people.
hopefully this gets you started on the right path. i'll post more ideas and suggestions as i hear back that this is a topic of interest, but in the meantime, i strongly suggest you give social media a try. set up a personal account and start playing with it. who knows, you might just find your next customer there.
or does it?
increasingly our society has become very social-media minded. everyone is on facebook, from tween and teens to gen x- and y-ers to babyboomers... even some grandparents. sites like facebook give non-techies the opportunity to use technology to share their lives and communicate with friends both close and far away. it keeps them connected with younger generations, as well as reuniting with old friends. social media sites give every consumer the power of really using the internet to communicate for themselves, not just listen to what everyone else has to say.
and let's face it, it's kinda fun.
but most small businesses don't realize the opportunity that social media also brings to them for reaching out to customers. and THAT is where the opportunity truly lies.
facebook, twitter, myspace and other social media sites are places where friends virtually gather. and since i (as a consumer) am more likely to patronize a business that my friends recommend, what better way for you to connect with me than through my friends.
now before you go running off and creating a social media account on every provider site you can find, please remember that like any media outlet, you should use social media judiciously. here are a few tips:
1. know the rules of the site
understand both how to post, and what kinds of postings are allowed. don't be a rule-breaker, your account could be canned and your image severely hurt.
2. check your account frequently
the last think you want is to appear negatively, and lack of postings or responses will certainly come off that way to regular users of the media.
3. remember what it is for
your social media site is not and should not be a replacement for your regular business marketing website. it should be a place where you can reach out to customers and potential customers to inspire conversation and feedback that help your business.
4. set up the right account for your business
if you are trying to reach baby boomers, you might not want to bother with social media sites targeted toward tweens. know your media outlet (or ask a professional for advice) and target your site so that you are reaching the right people.
hopefully this gets you started on the right path. i'll post more ideas and suggestions as i hear back that this is a topic of interest, but in the meantime, i strongly suggest you give social media a try. set up a personal account and start playing with it. who knows, you might just find your next customer there.
Friday, September 11, 2009
40 days in the desert... and how to get outta there
i don't know about most of you, but i've been seeing some pretty dry times around the lead pool lately. as a small business, we depend on regular leads and often referrals to keep our businesses afloat.
but in times where the economy still seems to be shrinking (despite what you hear on the financial news channels), and banks don't seem to be as free lending all that money we gave them back in January... well, let's just say that the watering hole we're used to is starting to look more like the Sahara.
so how do you find an oasis in this desert? well, the first thing you need to do, despite your inclination to the contrary, is KEEP MARKETING. yes, i know. it seems crazy to keep spending money on advertising, but what little business you have coming in is probably due to that advertising you did months ago... and if you stop now, in a few months those leads will be even fewer than they are now.
next, remember to network. let me say that again for impact... REMEMBER TO NETWORK. call or email all your contacts and other small business counterparts. use each other as a referral network to keep pushing business locally. don't be afraid to ask friends, associates and neighbors to hang onto your business card and pass it out to anyone they know who might need your goods or services. don't be pushy (no one likes that) but DO let them know that you are actively looking to expand your business and you appreciate their help.
finally, hang in there. be fiscally responsible as a business and have a positive attitude. even though it feels like this recession is at the worst point ever, the reality is that it WILL subside. eventually money WILL start to flow again, and when it does, the companies that can hang in there will see the benefit of it. watch your competitors close and know that eventually their old business will be your new business.
i'm not going to tell you that weathering this storm is easy... it's not. but that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and that goes for your business too. keep your head down, don't give up and know that better times are ahead.
but in times where the economy still seems to be shrinking (despite what you hear on the financial news channels), and banks don't seem to be as free lending all that money we gave them back in January... well, let's just say that the watering hole we're used to is starting to look more like the Sahara.
so how do you find an oasis in this desert? well, the first thing you need to do, despite your inclination to the contrary, is KEEP MARKETING. yes, i know. it seems crazy to keep spending money on advertising, but what little business you have coming in is probably due to that advertising you did months ago... and if you stop now, in a few months those leads will be even fewer than they are now.
next, remember to network. let me say that again for impact... REMEMBER TO NETWORK. call or email all your contacts and other small business counterparts. use each other as a referral network to keep pushing business locally. don't be afraid to ask friends, associates and neighbors to hang onto your business card and pass it out to anyone they know who might need your goods or services. don't be pushy (no one likes that) but DO let them know that you are actively looking to expand your business and you appreciate their help.
finally, hang in there. be fiscally responsible as a business and have a positive attitude. even though it feels like this recession is at the worst point ever, the reality is that it WILL subside. eventually money WILL start to flow again, and when it does, the companies that can hang in there will see the benefit of it. watch your competitors close and know that eventually their old business will be your new business.
i'm not going to tell you that weathering this storm is easy... it's not. but that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and that goes for your business too. keep your head down, don't give up and know that better times are ahead.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Build the Right Site the First Time… or… Finding the Right Web Designer for Your Small Business Site
As a web professional, I’m frequently called in by clients to help clean up a website project that has gone awry. While I’m happy to help and grateful for the work, I find it frustrating to see so many small businesses struggle with this same problem over and over again. I find it a shame because most small business owners I know are pretty savvy about running their companies, and yet the mistakes they make in designing their site tend to be at the most basic level. So here I offer a few steps that can make your website design project run more smoothly.
Step 1: Set the Goals
The selection of the right web designer or agency to build your online presence should be taken on with the same goals and planning as any other expansion of your business. Unfortunately for many small businesses, the hire of the web designer behind their project becomes a second thought, hiring your cousin's-wife's-friend's-brother, or worse, just taking the lowest bid you can find, rather than doing the homework that you would for any in-house hire that you consider as a valued asset.
In the long run, these kinds of mistakes lead to customer dissatisfaction, and even the creation of a site that must be scrapped merely because it doesn’t meet the end goals of the company. You must first set the goals and then find the right person/people to achieve those goals.
Begin your search for a web design professional by first asking yourself what your objectives are for your website. Do you need an ecommerce solution? Should your website collect leads for your sales force? Do you need a product demo or portfolio to showcase what you offer?
You may or may not know the answers to all these questions, and an experienced designer or firm can certainly help you determine these, but if you don’t begin by asking these questions, you won’t start searching for the right candidate for the job. If you need ecommerce, find someone who has done it before and done it successfully. If you need product demos, find someone who understands how to do that.
Step 2: Build the Right Team
As a business owner, you would never bring in a new employee that didn’t fit with the scheme of your business or with the personalities with the rest of your staff. It could be detrimental to your sales process or customer satisfaction if a team member didn’t have the right experience to do the job or couldn’t work well with the rest of your staff. For all intents and purposes, your web designer is a temporary member of your staff, and you should consider that before hiring them.
Although not necessarily a full time employee, your web designer is a member of your marketing team. Your web designer needs to understand the various aspects of your businesses, from sales, to offline marketing, to production in order to ensure that the website you build together should not only reflect your business, but also represent your business goals. Your web designer should be able to interact with every person in your company whose job is affected by the website to understand not only what they do, but how they do their jobs and how the website will be part of their job.
When you choose your designer, be sure that you have a good personality fit both with yourself AND your key staff members and ensure they are qualified for the job. You want your web design professional to be comfortable requesting information, and your staff to be comfortable voicing their concerns. And when it comes to understanding his or her qualifications, you don’t have to understand programming code to understand if someone has done the kind of work you need done. Ask for portfolio samples and review them.
Step 3: Set a Plan and Follow It
Once you’ve assessed your needs and found the right person who can meet those needs, it’s time to work together toward your goals. If you have a small or simple site, there may be just a simple plan to execute. If your site is more complex or requires multiple deadlines to complete, be sure those are spelled out. A web design professional should be able to clearly explain how to reach the goals you’ve set, and give you a rough timeline to get there.
In addition, make sure you have your paperwork in order. Understand the quotes you were provided with, ask questions about charges you don’t understand BEFORE the project is underway, and always sign off on changes you request. It’s very easy in the heat of the project for both designers and business owners to become careless about the paper trail, but when the dust has cleared and the bills come in, you want to be sure that you understand what you are paying for, and that you are satisfied with the results. The time you spend in the planning stages is vital to the final level of satisfaction.
I am the first one to admit that none of these steps is extraordinary when it comes to business planning, and yet I find that many business owners overlook them in the construction of their own website. Whether it is because they are too busy to bother, or that they don’t seem to see their websites as a priority in their business model I am unsure. What I do know is that when these basic business principles are applied to website design, both clients and designers find both great satisfaction and accomplishment with the end result.
Step 1: Set the Goals
The selection of the right web designer or agency to build your online presence should be taken on with the same goals and planning as any other expansion of your business. Unfortunately for many small businesses, the hire of the web designer behind their project becomes a second thought, hiring your cousin's-wife's-friend's-brother, or worse, just taking the lowest bid you can find, rather than doing the homework that you would for any in-house hire that you consider as a valued asset.
In the long run, these kinds of mistakes lead to customer dissatisfaction, and even the creation of a site that must be scrapped merely because it doesn’t meet the end goals of the company. You must first set the goals and then find the right person/people to achieve those goals.
Begin your search for a web design professional by first asking yourself what your objectives are for your website. Do you need an ecommerce solution? Should your website collect leads for your sales force? Do you need a product demo or portfolio to showcase what you offer?
You may or may not know the answers to all these questions, and an experienced designer or firm can certainly help you determine these, but if you don’t begin by asking these questions, you won’t start searching for the right candidate for the job. If you need ecommerce, find someone who has done it before and done it successfully. If you need product demos, find someone who understands how to do that.
Step 2: Build the Right Team
As a business owner, you would never bring in a new employee that didn’t fit with the scheme of your business or with the personalities with the rest of your staff. It could be detrimental to your sales process or customer satisfaction if a team member didn’t have the right experience to do the job or couldn’t work well with the rest of your staff. For all intents and purposes, your web designer is a temporary member of your staff, and you should consider that before hiring them.
Although not necessarily a full time employee, your web designer is a member of your marketing team. Your web designer needs to understand the various aspects of your businesses, from sales, to offline marketing, to production in order to ensure that the website you build together should not only reflect your business, but also represent your business goals. Your web designer should be able to interact with every person in your company whose job is affected by the website to understand not only what they do, but how they do their jobs and how the website will be part of their job.
When you choose your designer, be sure that you have a good personality fit both with yourself AND your key staff members and ensure they are qualified for the job. You want your web design professional to be comfortable requesting information, and your staff to be comfortable voicing their concerns. And when it comes to understanding his or her qualifications, you don’t have to understand programming code to understand if someone has done the kind of work you need done. Ask for portfolio samples and review them.
Step 3: Set a Plan and Follow It
Once you’ve assessed your needs and found the right person who can meet those needs, it’s time to work together toward your goals. If you have a small or simple site, there may be just a simple plan to execute. If your site is more complex or requires multiple deadlines to complete, be sure those are spelled out. A web design professional should be able to clearly explain how to reach the goals you’ve set, and give you a rough timeline to get there.
In addition, make sure you have your paperwork in order. Understand the quotes you were provided with, ask questions about charges you don’t understand BEFORE the project is underway, and always sign off on changes you request. It’s very easy in the heat of the project for both designers and business owners to become careless about the paper trail, but when the dust has cleared and the bills come in, you want to be sure that you understand what you are paying for, and that you are satisfied with the results. The time you spend in the planning stages is vital to the final level of satisfaction.
I am the first one to admit that none of these steps is extraordinary when it comes to business planning, and yet I find that many business owners overlook them in the construction of their own website. Whether it is because they are too busy to bother, or that they don’t seem to see their websites as a priority in their business model I am unsure. What I do know is that when these basic business principles are applied to website design, both clients and designers find both great satisfaction and accomplishment with the end result.
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