Websites – Why have one?

Steve Galepyxisoft

Introduction

What a website is and is notWhy have a websiteWhat are the key components of a websiteExamples – Good, Bad & UglyOnline Selling – What’s the difference?SummaryQ & A

What is a website

Shop front – always openSales, Marketing and Promotion toolProvides a method of your customers researching you before contacting youContact – there if you aren’tInformation repositoryA way of a user getting an idea of who you are

What a website is not

An answer to everythingA sure fire way of making a millionSomething you have to have just because everyone else does

Why have a website

Raise Brand Awareness

Promote products and services

Provide a clear idea of what a user can expect

Give customers a way of contacting you

Sell products or services online

Collect data about your clients for later use

Why have a website

New figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index show that online spending reached £4.67 billion in December.

....up by 14.2 per cent compared to 2007, as the internet became a more popular way for consumers to do their shopping.

“...consumers are turning to the internet as the most efficient way to save money in the downturn," comments Mike Petevinos, spokesman for Capgemini.

Source: IAB UK IAB UK http://tinyurl.com/cv2e72

Key components of a website

Design

Consistent designConsistency in colours, font and alignment Not too many images Easy navigation Contact information is clear Not too many bells and whistles Sense of the organisation

Think about your real estate“above the fold”

Layout

Easy to find your way around – Keep it simple and straight forward.Position your key messages/products correctly – People usually read from the top left to right.Use your real estate well – Remember key messages below the fold will require extra effort from people.Evaluate & Change – Monitor your webstat’s & talk to your customers.

Content

Begin with a well organised outline of the web site Keep content simple & to the pointBreak the content into small "chunks" Use your keywords liberally, but do not "stuff" Avoid long, difficult words Update regularlyUse lists Check your spelling and grammarKnow your target audienceOptimise your websiteUse appropriate language

= Good user experience

More likely to result in a repeat visitReferralsIncreased chance of making a purchase

Good example

Good example

Good example

Bad example

Bad example

Online Selling is it any different ?

Little if any human contact – You often don’t need the same levels of staff as you would having a physical presenceIts hard to work out how to get in front of your targeted customers – There are many different ways of marketing/promoting onlineIts hard to work out how to track and monitor who is coming to your site and what they are doing whilst on it – Online you can monitor/track far more effectively than other traditional methodsHow does my business set out and display all its products effectively – Monitoring and soliciting customer feedback will mould your site into an effective selling channel. Understanding your customers is key.

Online Selling is it any different ?

Expectations are increasing – providing a good customer experience is the key to retraining/attracting customers.Could it damage my brand - Only if you do it wrongDon’t know that much about websites – That’s why we are running these eventsIs it safe to trade online – Yes, if done properly

Summary

Keep it simple, concise and clearHave an idea of what you want - planUpdate your site regularlyGive users a reason to keep coming backMake is easy for users to do what they came to do

Thank you

Any further questions?

Steve GaleManaging Director

Pyxisoft Ltdsteve@pyxisoft.com