Our article was published in the August 2013 Issue of North Bay Biz Magazine

I am always amazed at the talent of business professionals I meet during website consultations. Their passion for their business is second to none. Business owners and entrepreneurs tend to be extremely self-sufficient; having invested so much time, money, and energy into their business; it is not hard to understand why they feel most comfortable when they are able to manage every aspect of an empire they have created on their own.

For many business owners, website development is a scary first step outside of this comfort zone. After years of doing everything for their business on their own, many individuals turn to cheap template programs for their website needs. After spending countless hours designing their own website, they are left with sub-standard results, which are not a true representation of the quality of their business. It never takes long for these individuals to realize that they wasted their valuable time; time which would have been better spent doing what they do best; running their business.

Having the same passion for my own business as my clients have for theirs, I reflect on their mistakes with the upmost respect and optimism. Websites, when properly designed, programmed and optimized, are meant to work for business owners, rather than business owners working for them. I urge business owners to take a moment to consider if the following important elements of their company’s website are truly doing the work for them, and ultimately making their job easier; Design, Functionality, and Search Engine Optimization.

#1-Design: It goes without saying that first impressions count, especially online. In a retail environment, even if a customer gets a bad impression of your business, they feel obligated to at least walk through your store, leaving a small window of opportunity for turning them into a paying customer. On the Internet, however, your customers are not concerned about your feelings or those of your employees. The moment they get the impression that your website is not of good quality, they will close their browser and continue their search elsewhere. It only takes 3 seconds for your online customer to make a snap judgment about your business based off of its website design. It is important to regularly assess your website and determine how potential customers will perceive your business in the first 3 seconds. Does your website appeal to your target audience? Is your design in alignment with your current marketing strategies? Does the quality of your website design correctly reflect the quality of the products and services it offers? Chances are you cannot get results that accurately portray your business from a template design.

#2-Search Engine Optimization or SEO: Most people have a general understanding of SEO at its most basic level. What many people overlook is the fact that search engines continue to evolve and will not optimize a website unless they believe it is authentic. Because of this, computer generated SEO tactics are no longer effective. To develop SEO organically, which is necessary to help search engines determine a website’s authenticity, SEO must be programmed directly into a website’s coding. Of course, I would not be emphasizing SEO if I did not genuinely believe in all of the benefits it can provide your business with. SEO is hands down the best way of marketing or advertising a small to medium-size business. About 70% of search engine users find their results on the first page of Google. This means that if your business is not on that first page, it is unlikely that it will be seen by more than 30% of the people searching for products and services in your industry. Google ranking also affects prospective customer’s perception of a business, as 50% of search engine users believe that if a company is on page 1 of Google, they are leaders in their industry. The good news is by investing in SEO; locally owned businesses will get more new customers for their dollar than with print, billboard, or radio advertisements. Unlike advertisements, search engines allow your business to reach new customers at the exact moment that they are motivated to buy your products or services. Think about how much revenue could be gained from your website ranking before your competition; if every time a customer already motivated to buy the products or services your business offers saw your website first. Search engine optimization is the most efficient targeted marketing strategy I know of today.

#3-Functionality: Your website must be easy to navigate. Keep in mind how valuable your time is. If your website visitors had all the time in the world, they would be driving from business to business or using the phone book to call businesses in order to obtain the information they are seeking. The reality is that we live in a fast paced, multi-tasking society, and the Internet has become the preferred method of finding, or at least narrowing down the several options available to consumers. A website that is both a challenge to navigate and requires an online consumer’s full attention conflicts with their expectation to be able to navigate your website while taking care of other tasks.
The organization and functionality of your website is equally important for mobile devices. Do not make the mistake of doubting the benefit of responsive design – recent research on mobile behavior suggests that 70% of mobile searches lead to an action within an hour. With a 40/60 split between tablets and smartphones as the leading mobile devices for searches, it is important that your website can automatically adapt to any screen size. Additionally, responsive design is rated higher than mobile websites for search engine optimization purposes and ease of website updates.

Take a moment to look at the functionality of your website from the perspective of your target audience, keeping in mind that both functionality on a PC and mobile devices play a major role in keeping potential customers on your website, rather than leaving it for your competition’s. Is the journey to the various products, services, and information that your website offers intuitive or frustrating? How much of your valuable time would you, as a consumer expect to spend browsing your site before finding what you went there for?
Consider each website element I presented as an opportunity for business growth.

As business owners and administrators, all we need to do is grab these online opportunities, have conviction and faith in ourselves, and let our websites do the rest of the work for us. There is no doubt that the ever-evolving Internet is here to stay, and whether you like it or not, your business truly needs it to survive. Website development is the one area where I urge business owners to let professionals step in, assess their online branding needs, and act on them. In today’s challenging business climate, a well-designed, highly functional, fully optimized website is the best chance for a small to medium-sized business to keep up with national or corporate competition in their industry.

For additional information come and meet our team of experts in Sonoma County:
BUSINESS WEBSITE CENTER
1425 N. McDowell Boulevard
Suite 205
Petaluma, CA 94954

Phone: (707) 794-9999

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