The old adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” rings especially true with regard to a company’s website. Create a website that appeals to your target audience. If it lacks initial appeal, they will most likely not stay there or return. Similar to the construction of a building, it is imperative to have a clear and defined plan as to what you want your website to convey about your company and its product or services. The following are some questions you should ask yourself when designing your company’s website.
What do I want my website to be?
The answer to this will depend on what you want your website to accomplish. Are you looking to generate e-commerce through your website? Is it meant to be no more than an electronic brochure for your company and its products or services? Would your audience benefit from helpful content and links? The answers to these questions will help to guide you in your design process.
Who is my target audience?
A website that appeals to a 20 year old music store clerk will certainly not have the same appeal to a 50 year old business executive. Once you have determined your target audience, your website needs to reflect their tastes. This should influence the colors, graphics and overall style of your website. The 20 year old may be attracted more toward “web wizardry” – pop ups, animation, etc., while the 50 year old may find a straight forward, easy to use format more attractive.
Who will maintain the site?
With an estimated 104 million active domain sites, internet users have plenty of choices when it comes to content. What does your website have that will keep them coming back? It is important to keep your content fresh and updated. This means someone needs to take ownership of website maintenance. For smaller companies, unless you have content that needs to be constantly updated (i.e. inventory), the task of maintenance does not have to be a full time job. A website review should be scheduled monthly to update content. Even providing users with some ever changing periphery content or a new look to existing content will give them a reason to keep coming back.
Who is going to create my web site?
Only ten years ago website creation was best left to web designers. Depending on the complexity of the content you desire, it still may be best to enlist the services of a professional. However, there are numerous web design programs, useful books and online resources that can allow a novice to create a website and get it up and running. Remember, there is no patent on website designs, so visit other websites to find ideas for you to use to reflect your company and its products and services.
With over 270 million internet users in the United States visiting an average of 59 websites per month, having an internet presence has become a requirement for all businesses, big and small. A well thought out design with pertinent content that is maintained and updated will project the image of your company and aid in its success.
If you have any questions about this article, please contact Jamie Downey at 800-849-6022 or JMDowney@DowneyCoCPA.com.
