14-Year Software Developer/Designer And Expert Reveals...

1. Integration - People don't look at the objectives of their website as it relates to their business. In effect, they are out of sync. They think that a nice, flashy website will be catchy enough to grab their prospects and reel them in. The problem is that is not the way it works. You must think of your website like your best salesperson. He understands the total package. And he is able to communicate to the customer in such a way that makes them want to buy. If your website doesn't do that, you're leaving a great deal of money on the table.
   
   
2. Structure & Flow - The layout of a site is absolutely critical. Why? Because people are lazy. They take the path of least resistance. Your job is to make the site as easy to navigate as possible. The easier and clearer the site is, the longer they will stay and the more often they will return. Bottom line, it will give you more visitors and make you more money. Make sure your web designer understands the habitual patterns and how the typical user thinks and lays out your site in accordance with that.
   
   
3. Content Management - Websites are often created as static pages, as a result, people don't think about how their site is going to be maintained, e.g., make changes and update content. However, in today's marketplace they should be more dynamic and constantly changing so as to attract new clients and address their concerns on all levels. Make sure you understand the time and financial costs of having your site maintained for you vs. doing it yourself. In either case, make sure your web designer creates your site in such a way that you have the ability to maintain it easily.
   
   
4. Marketing Message - Think of how many websites you have visited that just talk about how great their company is and what they or their products do? The problem with that is their website is all about them. And people don't care about "them". They only care about themselves and their problems. Before you develop your site, you will need to do some research into your customers' challenges and problems. Make sure your site speaks directly to their needs and how you can solve their problems better than anyone else.
   
   
5. Getting Found - Websites that are not continually updated and marketed properly are like having a billboard in a basement. One of the ways to be found is to use search engines. Just like humans, the search engines get "bored" with seeing the same old thing over and over and over again. It gets to a point when they don't even notice your site anymore. Adding fresh content makes them take notice of you again. There are entire books related to search engine optimization. At best, it takes a while and you have to constantly be on top of it to maintain high rankings. Make sure your web designer understands where to direct you for proper search engine optimization resources and techniques.

Please take a look at our process to learn more about how we break down this process for better website design. If you have any questions or would like a FREE evaluation of your current website initiative, you can contact us: info (at) waybeyondwebdesign (dot) com.