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You have to 'work the web' to get the most out of it. Frequently though businesses develop web sites without fully understanding how they can maximise the opportunities online. Sites fail to deliver on early expectations and are consequently starved of resources and left to gather cobwebs in cyperspace. But it doesn't have to be like this. Your web site has a vital role to play in today's business model - if yours isn't delivering then you should be shaking things up a bit to make sure it does.
We can help you work the web more successfully - guaranteed. We can review your web presence and help improve the effectiveness of your site.
Crucially we don't start out by changing everything - we focus on key activities that add substantial value at comparatively low cost. If a re-design is necessary then we do that last of all - and only when there is a clear business case for doing it.
Web Site Statistics Capture and Analysis
It's surprising how few businesses actually capture and analyse their web site statistics. Not using the statistics properly is like flying without instruments. Did you know that you can track which search engines bring visitors to your site and also what keywords people are using to find you? All this and lots more can be revealed by analysing statistics properly.
Search Engine Positioning
There are many more customers you don't know about than customers you do know about. Search engines are a powerful way of attracting these potential customers but getting listed is an art form - but one worth working at in view of the potential benefits. These days you can also pay to jump the queue but it's important to spend your money wisely and to avoid paying for what you can get for free.
Online Advertising
Online advertising doesn't have to cost the earth but if done properly can deliver valuable new customers to your site. And you can use a wide variety of approaches beyond the ubiquitous banner ad.
Community Building
Participating in online communities or sponsoring your own community is a useful way of raising the profile of your business. People prefer to do business with people they know and trust so getting to know your customers is a good way to start the sales cycle. Starting a community can be as simple as sending out a regular newsletter to those who register on your site. A client of ours has built up a database of over 5,000 visitors from doing something small like this. Have you the details of even the last 100 visitors to your web site?
Online Networking
Networking online is critical to promoting your site. Search engines even improve the positioning of sites if they are linked to other related sites so there's a double benefit from hooking up with related sites and resources.
Interactive Content
With the explosion is web technologies it's easy to do something a little different on your site to capture your customer's imagination or educate them in an innovative way. From online polls to animated product tours there's some way you can stand out from the crowd and get your message across.
Navigation and Information Design
Poor structuring of information allied with poor navigation is one of the key criticisms users have of web sites. It doesn't have to be this way. Information design has been a strength of ours since we started developing online information products in HyperCard back in 1987. Getting it right isn't always easy but it can make an enormous difference to the success or otherwise of a web site - especially one which is information rich.
Accessibility
Is your site accessible to those with disabilities? In the UK there's a lot of talk of legal action being taken against site owners once the Disability Discrimination Act comes into force in October 2004. There's a lot of pressure from certain quarters to develop new 'accessible' sites but in practice there's a lot you can do to make your current site more accessible and at least be seen to be making 'reasonable adjustments' which is what the law is really trying to achieve.
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