Build a Website that your Business Needs
We often go by the trend. And, sometimes to be in the league of winners we invest (Or I should say, waste) money on things that we don’t require for our business. Here, we are talking about the online marketing trends of businesses. Having a website is almost mandatory for every business, to remain available to clients 24X7. A website is like a business card, that speaks for you, even in your absence. And here, you have only few seconds to leave a lasting impression on your potential client, be it good or bad. So get a website that your business actually needs, not something which is in trend or followed by your competitor.
First of all, you must be very clear with yourself; what do you want on your website and what do you want to convey. You need to have good UI as well as UX. Surf some good website of like minded businesses and jot down web addresses of those that you liked, in terms of visuals and experience. Also, you must be very clear about the website why you admired it. Just don’t pick things randomly, that may do blunders later. Be careful while choosing the features and elements. Having too many elements or clutter of features is real turn off. E.g. Having a chat feature is a really good option to give good user experience, but it is utter waste of resources if you don’t get many customer queries. For a couple of queries you can provide telephone numbers and query form. Just be careful about the usability of element that you choose.
Mind it, your text and images are speaking on your behalf. Your potential customer believes in what you are writing. There is no harm in boasting off your talent but you should also possess it in reality. So that he would not get disappoint after meeting you in person. This would leave a negative impact and he may not do business with you. Just show what you can do and what you cannot do. You don’t lose anything in making tall claims, but you definitely lose your reputation if you cannot fulfill your promises. Having real time images of your real team, your office, your actual products, sites etc. would do a good job to build a trust among your audience. If possible for you, put up good pictures to build credibility of your brand.
It is always good to earn extra money, but are you earning this money by putting customer experience at stake? I am talking about online advertising here, e.g. AdCoices. In such advertising programs, visitors see automated ads on the website, which are related to their previous surfing. Sometimes, these ads are so distracting that visitor loses interest in your content and prefer to visit on advertised websites. And, sometimes they are so annoying that visitor leave the website in a frustration. So, think million times before opting for such advertising programs.
This is the era of apps. But does your business really need a one? Getting an app is not an easy thing. It’s complete program that has to be developed in a stand alone manner. This requires a good amount of money as well. So, sit down with your team and analyze the need of app required for your business. Just don’t follow the trend, think wisely before making any decision.
There is always a big debate about having a static or dynamic site. Just because everyone is having a dynamic website does not mean that you also should have one. If you don’t need frequent tweaking, get a static website. It is easy to maintain and fits in everyone’s budget. On the other side, do not compromise on having a dynamic website because that is costing a bit more than static one. If your business needs dynamic content, you gotta have one.
A business website is not a show piece that you have to flaunt, infact, it is a platform to showcase your capabilities and skills. So it is very important to give ample time to planning phase. Before planning, you must introspect your business and its goals, only then you can build a good blueprint of your website.
