Writen by Brian K. Johnson
Despite the estimated hundreds of millions of websites on the Internet and the enormous sums of money paid to develop them the unfortunate fact is that most small business web sites simply do not work. By do not work I mean that they do not deliver on what is expected or promised. There are many reasons why websites don't meet the expectations of business owners and even more reasons why the promises of the Internet don't ring true but in general there are some very common mistakes that companies make when deciding to build or redesign a website.
This article will discuss some of the very basic errors that small businesses make and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of website development (see www.nikosoftware.com for more information). Most small to medium sized business (SMB) owners intuitively know that using the Internet as a marketing tool for their business will pay large dividends. Unfortunately, most SMB owners don't know how the web works or principles of e-marketing so they will make their first in a series of big mistakes by looking through the yellow pages and picking one of the many web developers listed.
This decision is usually based on the fact that they have a desire to work with a local "web developer" on Main Street, USA not knowing that this limits their own ability to have access to much more qualified professionals who may be located elsewhere. The SMB owner will generally meet up with one of these web developers who will get their head spinning with technical terms like HTML, C++, Java, databases, MS SQL and so on. Developers tell the business owner what is needed and extract their payment. However, web developers seldom have any idea of how Internet marketing works or how to drive profits to your business using the web.
This is the single biggest reason why most small business web sites fail. The local web developer will almost never explain to the business owner that their web site should be self-sustaining. This means that your website should be making you money not costing you money. Web sites should be listed on your balance sheet, not simply as an expense item. Web developers also never really explain how to achieve measurable results from your web site. The reason comes less from the fact that they are withholding information or just not concerned with the level of their work, but rather that most web development companies, due to the very nature of their focus, simply don't know how to do these things. Their job, as they see it, is to build or rebuild your website from scratch with the focus on coding only.
Rarely do they take advantage of dynamic modular development, which provides scalability and integrated functionality that reflects the individual business needs and goals of their SMB client. This would mean that the business owner, based on their changing business needs, would be able to quickly and easily create interactive functionality on their own, without having to re-engage the web development company. Unfortunately, web development companies want you to have to come to them every time you need to change something on the web or add functionality, like a simple form or a video clip or even e-commerce.
The business owner must rely on the web development company for every small task that must take place or hire an expensive staff member who is trained to do these functions. This is usually someone who used to work for a web development company. The cycle continues and the business owner is never able to break free of the constant costs associated with a web site that wasn't built properly in the first place. Frustration sets in and eventually the site goes stale and the business owner will begin to focus their attention elsewhere until another web development company approaches with a whole new set of promises and the cycle begins all over again.
Sometimes a business may have a great site with great functionality but are mislead by another promise of web development firms, who will claim that they need to have a number one position on search engines in order to reap the benefits of the Internet.
Holding the number one position on in the search engines doesn't matter!
Everyone has heard the story before… "I will get your company listed on the top of the search engines." But, as you might guess, everyone cannot be at the top of the list and true professionals in the business know that. Search engines have very strict rules and complex algorithms, which change often. Actually, being in the third or fourth position is often more desirable and can generate greater profits for a progressive company. The goal should not be to be number one on the search engines but rather to generate high visitor levels on all of your web pages not just the home page. This means that your web site must have functionality or the ability to interact with your visitors. Web site functionality is what delivers the much-desired result not fist place ranking on the search engines. So what that everyone visits your website, but if you are unable to convert those visitors into customers what good does it really do? You are spending money and not making money.
If your site has been unattended for awhile it is generally because most web developers are just that, developers. Once they have finished a site they are off to the next development project. What small businesses need is a software company or an Internet consultant with a focus on web development. Having functional software on your website to attract and convert visitors into customers is of supreme importance. Software allows the non-technical business owner to manage or easily delegate the management of their web site to other non-technical personnel. This eliminates the need to have to continually go to web development companies for content and content changes.
For example, most businesses measure sales activity and distribution channels on a monthly basis. The business website is one of these sales channels. Having the ability to monitor the number of visitors and not just "hits" is crucial. What search engine did the visitor come from, what pages did the visitor enter on or exit on? This is key information that will allow a business to measure their progress against their competition. The bottom line is to think of your web site as a key part of your business and in so doing looking for a company that can provide a complete solution not just a web development company with a techie name.
If a business chooses a software company that integrates a complete and scalable solution with all of the business goals within the managing, design and hosting of your site, then the goals will be met. If not, the web site will not work.
To receive a free report on how to begin development of your company web site visit the resource pages at www.nikosoftware.com
Brian Johnson is Vice President of Niko Software Corp. and has consulted with over 300 companies on maximizing web tools to increase profits and web exposure. http://www.nikosoftware.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment