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Seven
Deadly Web Sins©
Why Most Websites
DON'T Work
and what to do about it.
By
Brad Miller
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Have you made these common mistakes
on your website? |
In 2004, over 500,000 new people will
begin surfing the internet every month in the U.S. alone.
People are checking out your business online! How do you rate? The
average surfer spends only a few seconds scanning a single
web page. You don’t have a lot of time for that first impression,
that's assuming you are found in the first place! Here are
seven of the most common sins, as I see them. More important
are the key tactics to avoid
these mistakes.
These
transgressions can render a website ineffective and worthless...
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No Web Business
Strategy:
A
website project should undergo a comprehensive internet business
analysis before production is initiated. A business analysis
probes deep into the current positioning and organizational
needs of a company. This (BNA) analysis
will discover which keywords and phrases are currently
searched for relative to your business. Such an analysis
will uncover the critical functionality needed to
sweeten your bottom line through business automation,
enhanced communication, and of course, corporate image.
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No Traffic:
If you can’t be found in your business
categories, why be online? Most websites simply do not
show up on the web radar due to lack of proper search engine
optimization (SEO). Paramount in any web project is a
search engine strategy. Moreover, the SEO strategy should
drive the entire blueprint for the website. Now that big
business has taken notice, expect more pay-to-play ranking
systems to emerge. Proper search engine architecture and
planning is always critical however, and free or “organic”
ranking strategies remain extremely important.
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Poor Web
Design:
What do you do when you hit on an
ugly site? You’re gone! Potential
customers, more than ever before, rate your business on first
impressions and that means the internet. It is more
important today than perhaps all other types of “corporate
image” marketing material. Your website is a direct
reflection of your entire operation.
==== SIDE BAR ====
How does yours look and feel? Is your branding strategy
consistent? The net is “plumb full” of sites I wouldn’t show my
mother! It’s amazing how many good and successful
companies look so pitiful online. If your site looks bad
or does not navigate properly, you’re losing business…bet on
it!
==== SIDE BAR ====
By 2007, IDC
expects Internet users will access, download and
share the information equivalent of the entire
Library of Congress more than 64,000 times over,
every day.
By 2007, IDC
estimates that consumers will account for 60 percent
of all Internet traffic generated, versus roughly 40
percent for business users.
N.U.A. Internet Surveys |
If you've got something to sell,
the potential is tremendous.
Search engines
are always looking for relevant
content. Site design is too often based on structure and
color when good solid information is what folks are
searching for. Take some time to think about what you like
about a website...information right? Provide your visitor
with something solid and they will not only spend more time,
but will return. You gain credibility as a resource for them
among the thousands of sites that offer nothing but an online
sales pitch.
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Slow Loading:
You've
got cable or a T1 line…lucky you, but you’re still in the
minority. Nearly 1/2 of the general U.S. population still use
dial-up. Businesses have higher broadband integration, but
1/4 still use a dial-up internet connection. If your site is
graphically challenged - it’ll load slowly. If you put up a
splash page or some groovy flash - it’ll hurt
you. Web surfers are extremely impatient. There’s a
hundred other competitors licking their chops for your
customer when they tire of watching your home page load.
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Unclear
Purpose:
Is there
a call to action? You
know what your company does, but does a fickle, trigger-happy
internet visitor? You’ve got a couple of seconds, at the
most, to nail your potential customer. Can they glance at
your page and know your company and your competitive advantage?
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Stale Content:
Does your site have a little counter on the
bottom and a message that states, “Last Updated in 1997”?
If the last time someone worked on your site, Bill Clinton was
in office, you've got work to do. It’s
difficult to keep a website looking fresh. There are a number of
strategies, not particularly labor or time intensive, to
make this critical aspect easier. But remember, nothing says “WE DON'T CARE”
like an outdated website. It’s a direct reflection on your
customer service and overall organization.
Websites go stale because:
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Impossible or difficult to edit “in-house”.
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No one internally takes responsibility for the
site.
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Webmaster does not return phone calls or emails.
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Webmaster got a real job, went to college, or
went on
an extended road trip.
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No Measurement:
Your whole business and life is based on
statistics. You cannot set goals for your internet
business plan without usable website statistics. Most of these
reports offer brain-numbing detail and make my eyes
glaze over immediately (and I even kind of know what the
stuff means!)
Many businesses don’t look at the stats because they are not
available. Other businesses get them and don’t understand
them. Hopefully you review fundamental statistics and know
the direction your site is taking. If the stats are not
available, demand reports from someone? (provided they’re
not on a road trip!).
"I have to give
Brad a lot of credit for all the hard work that was
needed to get my new web site up and functioning
properly. Not only does he provide a great product, he
is not satisfied until the site is producing business. I
would recommend his company highly."
Bruce Miller/
brucemillerart.com
Minneapolis, MN |
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What if the
phone rang more often with new business?
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What if you could increase your
visibility to those who
are already searching for you?
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What if you could gain new
exposure to all of the local
and surrounding communities?
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What if you
could communicate with all your customers
or prospects in an easy, efficient and regular manner?
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What if you
typed in a few keywords and your site came up BIG TIME?
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What if you
could increase your sales?
You can
start right now. Email
us now for more information. We will return your inquiry shortly
and plan a get-together where we can perform an Internet Business
Analysis. To learn more about an internet business analysis
click
HERE.
"Brad has done a
terrific job on designing and building my website.
Although my business is small he treated us as though we
were a fortune 500 company. I strongly recommend anyone
considering a website, large or small, to contact Brad
Miller. We were very pleased with his professionalism."
Timothy Haas /
haaslogworks.com
Deerwood, MN |
The Seven Deadly Web Sins™
was written by Brad Miller for
everyday business people like yourself. This is our approach to
your business. We talk in terminology normal people understand.
No jargon, no industry buzzwords or techno-speak. We will
teach you how to make changes to your website on the fly,
if you like. If you can run a word processor, then you can
update your site to your heart's content. We will spend the time
necessary with you and your staff to explain the inter-workings
of your website. Finally, everything will make
sense!
You can
harness the power of the internet by employing principals that
arise from your Internet Business Analysis. We look
forward to working with you!
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