Getting your company online
has never been easier!
Whether you're considering finally taking the jump online or just establishing how to go about the whole process you've certainly chosen a great place to start. Our website will provide you with a wealth of useful information that will save you money AND ensure you actually generate sales.
So how do you build a great website?
The successful path that you should travel to develop a great website is:
- Determine the objectives of your website
- Consider who the website is targeted at
- Think about the information you want to provide
- Consider the look and feel of your website
- Get a great website address and hosting
It's really that simple!
Objectives of your website
I know this seems like a strange place to start a website design process because everyone just wants to make money! Granted there are lots of websites out there whos sole purpose it to make money for their owners, yet there are other reasons for having a website. Some websites show people how to save money, and others purely exist as hobby sites.
Your objectives might be:
- Provide information
- Sell products
- Solicit new names
- Solve problems
- Encourage requests for catalogues
- Show what's in stock
- Improve communications
So give some consideration to why you're going online.
Audience for your website
As with any new business you need to start by identifying your target audience and their needs and wants - then supply it to them. If you can begin with that simple step then you're truly on your way to website success. The way to make your business never mind your website the launch pad to better things is to identify a niche and conquer it.
Information on your website
You could easily just look-up your competitors websites and see what types of information they are supplying; or you could spend some extra time and actually list the information your potential website visitors require. A successful website provides great content to those who visit it!
Look and feel of your website
This is probably where you thought designing a website starts. The look of your website should match the look of your current advertising and marketing material. This probably seems obvious, yet the number of companies we've come across who simply don't understand this basic principle would amaze you.
Imagine meeting someone at a networking lunch, getting their business card, and then viewing their website later. If the website doesn't share the same styles as the business card i.e. logo, colours, fonts etc then this would only confuse you.
If you don't have any business cards, marketing material or even a logo yet then don't worry, this just means that you have more opportunities!
Getting a great web site address and hosting
The main website address for your company should probably be your company name .co.uk. You could of course choose a .com address, but I think the .co.uk shows people where your focus is. If you're targeting the international marketplace then a .com could be more suitable. It's only an extra £10 to buy another url, so this shouldn't break the bank.
Web hosting companies can provide you with a web address, Email address and 50Mb of space for your website for £20 per year.
And what about the cost of all this?
The development cost depends upon several factors such as:
- The number of page in the site
- The amount of text and graphics in the site
- Whether you supply graphics and text or whether the designer has to do this
As a ball park figure each page on your website will cost between £75 and £150 to develop. Obviously there are companies and individuals who will charge much less and much more than this.
But wait a minute.....
The worst way to decide which web site design company to choose is through looking for the cheapest quote. Obviously you want to develop a great website without having to invest more than you can afford, yet the expression "pay nuts, get monkeys" should be foremost in your mind.
Some things to consider when deciding on a website design company are:
- Have they created websites that you like the look of?
- Do their clients actually appear in the search engines?
- Will you meet with representatives of the company or is everything conducted via emails and phone calls?
A great website should:
- Look fantastic
- Appear in a high position in the search engines
- Persuade people to actually contact or buy from you
You probably knew that a website should look great, but did you realize that the majority of people who should find your site will do so via search engines i.e. Google, Yahoo, MSN & AOL?
Put simply, this means that when somebody types a product or service that you provide you ideally want to appear on the first few pages of the results. If you don't appear in the search engines then you won't be generating any new business. The process of getting a website to appear in the search engines is referred to as search engine optimisation.
Once the visitor has landed on your site you have to convince them that you can provide the product or service that they're after. This is known as writing copy for the web.
When choosing a website design company ensure that they:
- Develop great looking websites
- Can optimise a website for search engines
- Convince people to contact or purchase from the site owners
You can get the cheapest company to generate a website for you that results in no sales, or you can spent a little bit more and actually make money online.
For an analogy a website is like a salesman. If the salesman looks good, generates great leads and has a fantastic sales talk then your business will thrive. If anyone of these three vital components isn't effective then you'll get no extra business.
The look of the website is compared to the look of the salesman. The leads the salesman generates is compared to the traffic generated via the search engines. And lastly, the sales talk is matched to the web copy of the website. For your website to be a success all three ingredients must be present.
About SeyeneCo Web Design
SeyeneCo Web Site Design helps small to medium sized companies in Scotland to increase sales via a great website.
If you're desperate for that great website and tired of looking for the right company to build it, then phone SeyeneCo on 01698 292 296 - we're here to help.
Still not sure about contacting us? here's what some of our clients had to say:
I would feel confident in recommending SeyeneCo to any company considering setting up a website.
Elaine Mackinnon, Director, Research Resource, Glasgow, Scotland.
SeyeneCo helped us to actually generate sales from our website.
Gilbert Grossett, Managing Director, Grossett's Butchers, Dundee, Scotland.
I can honestly say that SeyeneCo offered me a thorough and professional website design service, from the consultation stage through to the actual website launch. I would advise anyone who is considering obtaining a website for their business to contact SeyeneCo Web Design.
Linda Grace Gemmell, Original Scottish Landscape Paintings, Scotland.
Seyeneco web design have the professional skills and knowledge to cater to their clients needs and specifications.
Our business has new clients and business leads thanks to them.
We have trust and confidence in Seyeneco and without hesitation would recommend their services.
Charmaine Gittens, Director, Liki Importation, Spain.
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