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P.O. Box 1421 |
Reid periodically writes articles on marketing, branding, and the Internet. To receive them by email, sign up here. |
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del.icio.usThe 20/20 on Web Sites in 2010
Web site essentials for the new decade
by Reid M. Neubert
I have been hearing a lot of the same questions and misconceptions about Web sites (or websites ) these days, so I thought this would be a worthwhile topic to cover.
What's involved in a website (re)design?Even though most people refer to it having a website "designed," the actual design is only part of it. Web sites have quite a bit to them, and to be effective today, they have to be done right. Developing a website involves the content, structure, interactivity and visual design, branding, and search engine optimization (SEO). A Web site has to be planned, structured, written, and designed.
We start by determining the content and functionality that are needed for the site. Once we have those, we can resolve the information architecture – what goes where, and how the sections and sub-sections interrelate. Out of that comes the navigation structure. Next, the user interface, or UI, can be designed.
The site's look, voice, and personality should be consistent with the company's other marketing and advertising. This reinforces the brand. If the marketing elements are inconsistent, the brand is diluted as a result.
In doing all that, we keep in mind the whole user experience, not just the user interface.
What's this I hear about SEO?The idea behind search engine optimization is that when people do an Internet search for what your company provides, you want your company's website to show up in the results. Simple in concept, but quite a bit more difficult in practice.
There is so much misconception around SEO that many people are either totally confused or don't understand why they can't expect their new site to come up in the number one spot on Google. Today there are hundreds of millions of websites, with many more coming online daily. You can't expect a new site to necessarily place well in a search, especially since Google takes seniority into account. It can takes months and months … for a good site. Sorry, but patience is a necessary virtue today. If anyone tells you they can make your site come up first on Google, run, do not walk, in the other direction!
SEO is something that needs to be considered from the start. I continue to see attractive websites that are virtually invisible to search engines because of how they are built. Whoever created these sites did their clients a great disservice.
Content is kingOptimizing a site starts and ends with the content on the pages. Valuable content is what brings people to a website. Good content is clear and customer-focused. So often we find websites that are written completely from the company's point of view. With others, we can read the whole home page and still not be clear about what they do! That certainly wasn't the company's intention, they just don't seem to know any better.
A client of ours once showed me copy he had drafted for the company's new Web site. His whole focus was how they were better than their competitors because they constantly think outside the box. That's fine, I told him, but … first we have to say what the box is! Without that input, theirs would have been another site that was unfathomable to most prospects.
What about SEM?SEM stands for search engine marketing, a term synonymous with PPC, or pay-per-click advertising. When you do a Web search, these are the listings you see with a light blue background at the top of the results and down the right side.
Companies for which it is important to be found in an Internet search use PPC ads because they are immediate and controllable, unlike the "organic results." Yes, you pay per click-through, but if you get your business though the Internet, it can be a very cost-effective way to advertise. If done right.
ConclusionHaving a Web site is a must for virtually any business these days. But having a Web site with the problems discussed above is a lost opportunity. Having a good Web site can make a big difference in a company's success.
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