home_logoThe following is a presentation summary from a live presentation given at the Internet Merchants Association. The author is posting it as per request from conference participants.


Creating and Maintaining a Web Site that will Blow Away the Competition

As Presented at the Internet Merchant Association Conference 2010

By Kevin S. Taylor, MBA

Abstract

Whether you are planning your first e-commerce web site or redesigning an existing one, there are many important conventions and standards to consider. Keeping your site up-to-date and current is no small feat.

This article will discuss the ‘must-haves’ for every e-commerce site.  This presentation will help you to generate an Internet and Social Media Marketing plan for your site that will blow away the competition!

Introduction
Building and Maintaining Relationships with Customers
Numerous experts have made it clear that the entire purpose for being in business is to procure new customers and keep existing customers. This information relates to any Internet business; whether the company’s web presence is a full blown e-commerce style website or a more basic brochure-style website.

The profits and growth of a company are all contingent on this one variable. So, whether the business is a brick and mortar retail establishment that wishes to extend its reach into the international market; or, a one-man shop with nothing more than a shingle on the Internet, the primary focus should be procuring new customers and maintaining relationships with existing customers.

A company’s website will be the gateway to its Customer Relationship Management. So, it is imperative to understand how to communicate with your customers the way that the customers want to communicate, rather than the old style of e-commerce where a company would develop an Internet presence and expect miraculous profitability. A clear understanding of this dynamic can position a company’s online presence leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.

Analysis and Planning
There is a significant amount of truth to the expression that failing to plan is the same as planning to fail. So, it is essential to begin the marketing communication process with careful analysis of the businesses’ current status and both long and short term goals.

To start off this phase leaps and bounds ahead of the competition, one may wish to consider performing a SWOTT analysis of the existing marketing plan and social media policy. This is extremely important. Only by properly analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and trends can a company assemble a marketing plan that will blow the socks off of the competition.

Once a company fully understands the state of its current Internet Presence, then they can start setting goals. When Expert Website Services assists their clients to develop marketing plans, the experts recommend using the model referred to as SMART Goals. Your first advantage over your competition will be to have goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely and Tangible. For a goal to be specific, it must answer the who, what, where, when, which, and why. For example, each goal should address the following:

1)    Who is the target audience for this particular goal? Who will be responsible or     accountable for making sure this goal is achieved?
2)    What is the desired outcome for this target market?
3)    Where will this particular goal be achieved? Is it on a website? Or, does it involve a     number of locations, such as social media outlets?
4)     When will this be done? Anyone familiar with software development knows that the only     way you can control the completion date of a project is by     starting it sooner rather than     later.
5)    Which elements are involved? What are the specific requirements and constraints to     achieving this goal?
6)    The Why involves the specific measurable outcome or the benefit to the business owner,     for accomplishing this particular goal.

Welcome to Web 2.0 – Online Collaboration
Now that the business has been analyzed and some tangible goals have been set, it is time to delve into the physical qualities of your online presence.

Consider these facts:

  • According to Google, there are approximately 1 trillion unique URL’s in Google’s database at any given time.
  • Not all of these pages are indexed
  • Google processes approximately 2 billion searches each day
  • There are over 10 million articles on Wikipedia in over 260 languages. Many educational institutions now consider this to be an acceptable academic reference even more reliable than Encyclopedia Britanica. Why? Because of collaboration.
  • More than 100 million videos are viewed on You Tube every day.
  • Twitter passes along more than 4 million tweets each day.
  • Facebook has over 200 million users, 1/2 of which log in each day.
  • The average Facebook user has 100 friends that know each others’ experience with various online merchants.

What do these figures all mean? They mean that in order for a company’s Internet presence to surpass that of its competition, the website needs to allow for the same type of cross platform communication and collaboration! It is not as complicated as it may sound. Really! Take a deep breath and understand what Web 2.0 refers to is simply the ability for online users to communicate and collaborate with the company’s online presence. It is these interactive components that are tantamount to successfully blowing away the competition!

What Does this Mean?
The core components include:

1)     Make certain the company’s online presence is up to speed with technology (Web 2.0,     Collaborative, Interactive)
2)    Make certain the company’s online presence bridges the gap between the Generation Y     population and Baby Boomers
3)    Make certain the company’s online presence includes dynamic content
4)    Make certain the company’s online presence includes automated syndication with popular     social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and yes – Even YouTube
5)    Make certain the company’s marketing plan looks toward the future. Be sure to choose a     platform that will allow the company to add or modify functions without having to start     completely over as technology changes into the new generation of Internet Marketing and     Internet-based commerce.
6)     Peace of mind. Choosing a hosting provider that will work to provide ongoing assurance of PCI compliance.

Bridging the Gap between Generation Y and the Baby Boomers
This year, 2010, the number of people from generation y will surpass the number of baby boomers in the workplace. This generation will be making just as many, if not more decisions with regard to where and what to buy. For the business owners that have not kept up, these are the people who will not answer their phones or return calls; but, they will respond instantaneously to a post on facebook or a text message. Many of them will not buy products or services if they cannot do it online, instantly, without having to talk to someone.

However, we cannot omit the need to keep things simple for the baby boomers and other generations that work in an opposing paradigm.  So, the only option a savvy Internet entrepreneur has is to provide a mechanism for the collaboration to keep up with Web 2.0 yet maintain a simple and stable platform for the comfort of technologically challenged or frightened customers.

Dynamic Content
The need for dynamic content prevails over the older model of just posting static content. For some, this may involve only minor modifications or redesign to an existing website. For others, it may mean the development of an entirely new web application. WordPress, FCKEditor , DotNetNuke, and a number of other platforms exist to help non-technical web business owners manage content and keep it fresh.
There is certainly a direct correlation between the need for dynamic content, syndication, and the automation of posting to various social networking sites.

Automation and Syndication of a Company Website, Blog, and Social Media portals congruent with the Company’s Internet marketing plan A few years ago, automation was a term developers used to describe database managed websites, customer login authentication; or the ability to pull reports. Today’s online environment creates new meaning for automation. News travels fast and a primary goal for Internet merchants should be to automate and syndicate the information so that their time can be better spent staying ahead of the game rather than directing traffic. This means you should set your website up as the hub of information for your business. From there, you can automatically syndicate the information to a variety of social media portals.

Elements of a Business Website
Now that we have covered the essential elements of Web 2.0 and the fundamental steps for blowing away your competition, we can discuss elements of a business website

User Friendliness
With or without geographical references related to search engine marketing, user friendliness should be one of the primary components to designing a web site.

Many people have experienced the frustration and irritation caused by going to a particular website, finding links or references to the information being sought, and then having to navigate several windows or pages just to get to the information itself.

This can be so excessively aggravating to some consumers that, even if they find what they are looking for, they may still decide not to use a particular company. This type of disorganization leaves a lasting impression that is contrary to the image your company will want to portrait.

For this reason, website designers who want to keep visitors to the website will ensure that the home page is easily navigable. Using such features as drop-down menus and point-and-click options are one way of doing this.

Website designers know there are different types of website layouts, each with its own merits. Which design works best for a particular company depends on a number of factors. A website should be well thought out in advance so that all of these factors can be taken into consideration. The information can be summarized in the form of a series of questions that web page designers may want to ask themselves:

  • Does the type of layout chosen make it easier or harder to invite “clicks”?
  • Does the type of layout easily allow for expansion, updating, and even complete changing if necessary?
  • Will the type of layout used make it easier or harder for consumers and users to find the company and its information, both through the preliminary SEO and the succeeding website pages?

When asked what they do and don’t like about websites, many consumers often say that they don’t like a site that is too “busy”, particularly where the homepage is concerned. There is such a thing as too much information being presented too rapidly.

It should go without saying that web pages should be written in clear, concise English, with little, if any, business jargon. This is especially important if a website is being designed to be seen by everyone rather than those within a certain field or occupation.

Although, it may be possible to take some liberties with tone on some of the pages, transition should flow smoothly. Website designers can do this by placing drop-down menus or point-and-click options for pages that may be slightly different in tone in other locations on the home page.

This technique can also be utilized for every separate page or window on the website. The different windows subjects are listed on the left-hand side of the homepage, so it is simple to see the particular topic being discussed on that particular page.  It is then simply a matter of placing the mouse cursor over the desired page, and clicking.

Tone of the Content
When it comes to consistency, one of the first places to look is the tone of the material being written. Oftentimes, the domain under which the website is being published will dictate the tone in which the material can or should be written. Domains under the .com or .org format can choose a style between a very casual tone or an “all business” tone, Top level domains such as .gov and .edu domains may require that only a professional tone can be used.

A company that is in a position to adopt a tone that lands directly in the middle of the casual and all business categories may, strictly from that fact alone, already have an advantage over a competitor. Most often, we recommend a tone that is professional, yet at the same time inviting so that a visitor feels welcome to stay and learn about the company.

Design Elements
The style of the pages on the website is another factor to consider. Again, the type of business will actually determine if a particular style should be used or what choices are most appropriate.

A brochure style website is one option. In a brochure style, information is laid out succinctly; yet, thoroughly enough that consumers can see the advantages of one company over another. A brochure-type style also allows for flexibility in choosing between a casual or business tone.

Newsletters provide room for additional information; however, the contents should be written interestingly enough so that the reader’s attention is held. Newsletters often require updating, but if a company is very forward-moving and wants to get that across, this style may actually help.

Again, newsletters allow for flexibility, as both casual and business tones lend themselves well to a newsletter format. We always recommend that a website has the ability to collect opt-in email addresses whether or not the company currently has a newsletter. This allows a business the option of keeping in touch with a particular target market

An information page style is also quite useful. Information is presented in a clear, concise format, with sections headings where applicable. This is often used on a home page, with links to other sections of the website either embedded in the information itself or otherwise located above or around the information.

Many companies are using blogs as part of their overall website. This can be especially helpful when circumstances dictate that other parts of the website be written in a more serious, businesslike tone.

Websites that are or will be designed to respond to consumer “clicks” may require a specific layout. The ease, or lack thereof, with which the website invites “clicks” can spell the difference between that company being chosen and the competitor getting the job. Experienced website designers will keep this in mind, and plan accordingly.

No matter what layout design is used, if it does not allow for expansion, or cannot easily be updated, then it is going to be counterproductive. Nothing will turn users away from a website faster than outdated information and the same tired graphics being seen each time the website is visited.

Seeing such a website may very well lead a consumer to think, possibly erroneously, that if the company does not care about its website image, then it may not care about its real image.

While it is true that the homepage is the first thing that one will see upon entering a site’s URL, this does not mean that less attention can be paid to subsequent pages. The goal of the designer and the company is not only to get the consumer to visit the site, but to “park” there for a while.

For this reason, the different windows in a website should be as easy to access and navigate as the home page. The same rules apply to them as to the home page: the information needs to be current and easily found and the other windows should offer drop-down menus and point-and-click options.

Depending on the subject or area discussed in a particular window, however, the tone can possibly change. Whereas circumstances may dictate that the home page and perhaps other pages on the website adopt a professional, no-nonsense tone, it may be possible to present information in other windows in a more casual tone.

This can be especially true of windows or links to blog pages or “about us” pages. Given the opportunity, people within an organization often want to come across as a person, not just a face or a name. Blog and “about us” pages offer a format in which this can be done.

Search Engine Considerations

Knowing your target audience

Depending on what it is, a keyword or phrase entered into the “Google” search engine alone can produce hits numbering in the millions. The more precise a keyword or phrase, the fewer hits will be generated; however, these may still number in the hundreds of thousands. So, it is no wonder that website designers constantly have to come up with new ways to design and present websites and domains.

The first page that is seen whenever any keyword or phrase is entered will contain at least ten different entries that a consumer can choose to click on. And, that doesn’t even count the “related searches” listed, or the advertising links that companies pay for on the search engine site. Therefore, a website designer is going to need something that will stand out right from the start.

Always, always, always make sure that your on-page optimization is reviewed by a search engine professional whether or not you choose to pay for more aggressive search engine optimization. The analysis MUST include keywords that people will actually use to search for your products or services.

Competitive Analysis
Those who are in charge of a company’s website, either designing it or determining what will go on it can get a better idea of how they want their particular site to look by visiting competitors’ sites. By making note of the things they do like and the things they don’t like, they can then determine how to “tweak” both the things they like and the things they don’t like to give them that all-important edge over the competition.

For example, as mentioned earlier, a common complaint of users is that a page looks too crowded or “busy”. By clicking on a competitor’s website homepage, and simply giving it a cursory glance, a webpage designer will most likely be able to form an immediate opinion as to whether or not the layout falls into the “TMI” (too much information) category.

On the other hand, if something in particular catches the eye, then a determination may need to be made as to how this same concept can be individualized and used on the webpage being designed.

Monitoring
Word about your company can spread to hundreds of people, sometimes even thousands, in less than a second. In this type of an environment, it is essential to know what people are saying about your products or services.

There are also a variety of tools that we suggest using so that we can see what people are saying about us. One of the services I strongly recommend is Google Alerts, which will email you anytime someone posts one of your respective key phrases online.

In Summary
The goal of a good website is to get people to click on it and then to stay there once it has been accessed. If a company’s website designer wants to blow the competition away, then having the best or most unique website will help to accomplish that and will result in increased business. However, as you can see there are a number of other factors involved.

The starting point is to analyze the current state of your business. I highly recommend that my customers use the SWOTT analysis method.

Secondly, it is imperative to set measurable goals. What gets written and measured will get done. Set goals related to what type of website conversion rates you want to see and then take the steps to get it done. Be sure to use SMART goals.

Allow interactive customer service options such as surveys, payment forms, and other communication tools directly from your website. Use social media and integrate it seamlessly into your Internet Marketing plan. Create dynamic content an keep it fresh. Use one of the many content management systems that allow you flexibility to change things on the fly.

Pay attention to the tone of your content and be sure the navigation is user friendly. Have several friends beta test the navigation of your web site. Be sure basic SEO procedures have been implemented in your site. Watch your competition and see what is working and not working for them. Finally, monitor the progress of your Internet marketing plan with web statistics and tools similar to Google alerts to ensure you know what people are saying about your company.

Kevin S. Taylor, MBA is the Chief Executive Officer of Expert Website Services, an innovative Las Vegas website development firm. In addition to teaching online networking and ethical Internet marketing tactics, Kevin is an Assistant Director of BNI in Las Vegas NV, Chairman of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Nevada, and very active in the global business community.