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top ten tips
[one] Prior to setting up your website set clear objectives: what do you want to achieve from the site? To generate new enquiries? To inform members or customers? To gather research data? Be clear about this and retain focus on it for the whole development process and beyond. Without it your investment is wasted.
[two] Whatever your website is meant to do or assist with, ensure that it fits in with your overall business or marketing strategy.
[three] A consistent brand identity is essential, your website, stationery, marketing literature, signage and anything else should communicate a consistent message. Do not underestimate the power of your brand, it is how your customers perceive you.
[four] Be an expert, use an expert. Do you really have the skills or time to develop your own website, what happens to the work you should really be doing when you are distracted? Contract or employ an expert to do the job for you. You will save money in the long run and experience greater benefit.
[five] Content is King. An old adage - in the context of the internet - but still very true. A website with no content is a waste of time, effort and money. That said, any old content is not useful either, it needs to be concise, relevant and written in the language of your customer. If you must use technical terms, ensure that you provide explanations in a glossary or similar.
[six] Developing a website and then not marketing it is like having expensive glossy brochures printed and then leaving them in a box in your office. Use an expert to promote your site.
[seven] On a more technical level - don’t use frames – they get in the way of search engines. Avoid splash pages, a website is not like a book, it does not need a front cover, think more of going directly to the introduction and index pages. Don’t use Flash or other animations unless they are absolutely necessary to explain a process or to illustrate a product.
[eight] The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) applies to websites. Your website must be accessible and easy to use for all potential users. There are lots of straightforward things that you can do to improve the accessibility of your website. What is certain is that you cannot afford to ignore it. Seek specialist advice.
[nine] Obtain usage statistics for your website and analyse them. This is not an exact science but comparing the data over time will help you to get a feel for how successful your website is and may also help to identify barriers to sales or usage.
[ten] Collect user data if possible. A database of interested parties results in a valuable sales tool – if it is used appropriately. Consider offering some incentive for a users contact details: this might be access to information or services not otherwise available, entry to a free prize draw or anything in-between. Remember to include a privacy policy and offer your users a choice to opt out of receiving e-mail from you in the future.
