Web and Multimedia

7 ways to get the best from your Web designer

April 4, 2011 by Al

I recently wrote a post how to get the best from your graphic designer. This post takes the same stance with web design.

As with Graphic Design, effective communication, along with preparation is key to working well with a web designer and getting the best results. A little planning and education go a long way to ending with a site that looks great, and promotes your business effectively.

Here is a checklist to make sure you stay on track to a great website.

1. Know why you are investing in this website

What is the purpose of your website for your business?
Deciding this is actually easy. There are only a handful of things that a website can do.

Lead generation for offline sales
Supporting information for offline sales
Provide content to position yourself (or business) as the expert in your field
Online sales – make the sale and take the money

Explaining exactly what you want your website to do for you is critical to getting a great end result.

If on the other hand, you are building a site purely to tick the ‘we have a website’ box, then run out and get the simplest website you can as cheap as possible. At least people will find something if they look for you online.

2. Who are your visitors going to be and how can you help them?

What will your site offer your visitors?

You absolutely MUST know what you are offering your visitor to your site and why they are there so you can give them right information.

Visitors to your website are there because they have a problem or at least they have a question. You need to have a good idea of what that problem or question is, and answer it for them as soon as possible, or at least, show that your business can solve it for them

Any successful website includes a strong call-to-action, and it is much easier to convince someone to take an action if they want to do it already.

3. Get inspired

Here’s a license to muck around on the web for a while. Spend some time bookmarking some websites you like the look and feel of. Surf around for sites inside and outside of your industry.

It is great for you to get an idea of what you like and what you don’t like, and be able to discuss them with your designer. Your designer is never (hopefully) going to copy these sites. But it is a great to get an insight into how you view your business.

4. Simple Keyword research

You need people to find your website. Ideally, they will be people who are interested in your products or services. To do some simple research into keywords, you need to jump back on Google.

I recommend searching for your products or services in another large city, maybe in the US or the UK. Take a note of all the search terms you use. Also scroll to the bottom of the results and note the ‘related searches’ suggested by Google. They are recommended for a reason – because they are popular terms others are searching for.

Ideally, your web designer will do more exhaustive research than this, but it is excellent to have a place to start from.

5. Take ownership of the content

All too often, the content is left to last, after everyone is happy with how the website is going to look.

Content is King…

The words and images of your website are what speak to your visitor, answer your visitor’s questions, solve their problems and they are what sell to the visitor.

Your web designer can guide you through what content you need and help make the copy web friendly (or recommend a professional copy writer). But the original content needs to come from the industry expert (that’s you). You know your business better than your Web designer…

6. Collate your resources

Create a folder with all of your current branding and resources. Your website designer is going to need copies of your company branding (logo etc), and standard imagery you use.

Examples of your current promotional materials are excellent for a designer to ensure the web design is consistent with your current branding. While it is nice to have the latest in website design, it needs to be consistent with your total brand.

7. Keep the lines of communication open

You should be getting regular progress updates from your designer throughout the process. Constructive criticism is important to a successful end result. Give opinions early, even (especially) negative ones. It is much easier to make broad changes earlier in the process than towards the end.

Making decisions quickly will prevent the project from getting stale. If you have a larger organisation, make sure one or at most two people have the authority to make the calls when they are needed.

Conclusion

A website is an integral part of marketing in todays business environment. To get your business represented in the best light on the internet you need to have a good relationship with your web designer. As I mentioned, earlier, clear communication and a little preparation help the process run a lot smoother. Helping your designer understand your business and your goals is a great place to start.

photo credit: mecookie

New Zealand businesses slow to invest in the web

November 8, 2010 by Al

I just read an article on the TVNZ website about the incredibly low rate of New Zealand businesses having websites. According to a survey run by MYOB as of right now, only 34 percent of New Zealand businesses currently have a website.

I have to admit, that this astounds me. The internet is the biggest opportunity in a generation. in little more than 15 years, it has changed the way we communicate, find information and has broken down traditional barriers.

Even for small, local business, the internet can’t be ignored. As explained in the article:

“The way we shop today is very much just popping on to Google and tapping in a quick search. It’s really key for a business to think how they might use the internet to support them.”

MYOB says a business can just use a directory listing online but the evidence shows that a good online presence is a strong driver of business growth.

Opportunities

With only a third of all NZ businesses having a website, the internet landscape still has relatively low competition. In other words if you already have a website, or are moving to get one soon, you are still well ahead of the curve.

The web moves fast

Things change quickly online. Savvy businesses are already using Social Media to build an audience, foster relationships and create loyal fans. How hard is it going to be for latecomers to catch up?

Does your business have a website? Why do you think New Zealand businesses have been so slow to move online?

How to get great testimonials to use in your marketing

May 25, 2010 by Al

Testimonials are a well known tool for marketing products and services, for good reason – They work!

I recently attended a webinar on internet marketing, as I do from time to time to pick up any new ideas or practices that I can transfer to marketing real world businesses. One of the presenters got me thinking about testimonials.

The presenter of the webinar pointed out the extraordinary lengths that infomercials go to get the testimonials they need to sell their products – They:

Go out onto the street to video the public
Pay celebrities for their endorsement
Do “live” demonstrations with volunteers
Show amazing results from previous clients/guinea pigs

Now I know that we all watch the infomercials thinking, “yeah right, sure he got his 8 pack abs from ONLY using their face cream for 30 seconds per day”. But at the end of the show we’re all ready to pick up the phone for a 14 day trial.

Testimonials just work!

Testimonials are the next best thing to a personal referral. Someone standing up and saying ” I know you are nervous about using this product, but I did and it worked great for me” gives a sense of security, it removes some of the perceived risk of making a purchase.

If testimonials are such a great tool, why don’t businesses use them to their full advantage?

I encourage all of the businesses I build websites for to gather some testimonials for the site, and without exception, they are always the last content that I get supplied, if at all.

People are scared to ask for testimonials, and particularly here in New Zealand I am sure people are worried that asking for a testimonial is somehow reducing their authenticity.

How do you get testimonials?

How often do you follow up with your clients to check they are satisfied with your service? This is a golden opportunity and should be a part of your customer service process. Whether you do this in person, via email or thank you letter, always ask for feedback.

When talking to a client or customer and they mention that they you gave them great service, or that they loved your products, just ask “do you mind if I use this as a testimonial” all they can do is say no, but I bet a lot are happy to help.

Make it easy for them to give you a glowing testimonial

Avoid wasting an opportunity to get an inspiring testimonial, by helping your client give you the information you want. Ask the right questions to get the answers you want. Try these out to start with:

What was the number one reason that helped you decide to purchase our product or service?
Was there any reason you considered NOT using our product or service? What overcame this?
How specifically did our product or service help you?
Would you recommend us to a friend or colleague? If yes, why?
Do you have any other comments on our product or service?

These questions will get you some specific, informative testimonials, as well as help you understand why your clients buy your product or service (and why others don’t).

Now go and get some testimonials, and if you are really keen, you can always get out on the street with some product samples and a video camera!