Your high school history teacher was right – you canlearn from the past. With our modern technology andglobal perspective we sometimes lose sight of whathistory can tell us. The power of the Roman Empire, forexample, rested in part on the centrality of Rome as theseat of government, culture and commerce.
The complex trade networks that drove much ofthe Roman desire to conquer the known world werefacilitated by a simple piece of infrastructure: pavedroads running throughout the vast expanse of theempire connecting various outposts to each other and,ultimately, to the capital. Today, the Internet has thesame capacity to drive goods, services, and markets, onlyit’s much faster, smoother and more diverse.
Ultimately, your Web site is the“Rome” of your business. The goalis to drive as much traffic to the siteas possible in order to get the mostbusiness from it. A Web site can be themost cost effective way to advertise,drive sales, develop a client base orbusiness partnerships, and providecertain services for your customers.But let’s face it, by the time you’ve paidfor good design, development, hosting,updates, annual domain name fees, andmiscellaneous other expenses, the cost ofcreating and maintaining a good web siteadds up. The only way to get a return onyour investment is to use that Web site tomaximum advantage.
The beauty of a Web site is that itworks 24 hours a day, and doesn’t haveany geographical limitations. With alittle effort, someone on the night shiftin Helsinki can access your goods orservices no matter what time it is atyour office. Yet if the site isn’t properlyconfigured or utilized, your next–doorneighbor might not be able to find youon the Web. Many business ownersget frustrated because they’ve investedin a site that isn’t generating sales orcustomers, doesn’t serve existing clients,and doesn’t contribute to the operationsof the company. In short, the Web siteisn’t working. It’s sitting there on a servercollecting virtual cobwebs.
This is an avoidable scenario. Hiringa reputable Web design firm is the firststep. We’ve helped many disgruntledWeb–owners retrieve neglected Websites from the outposts of the InternetEmpire. Getting the most from yourWeb site depends on the type of site youhave. An e–commerce site has differentfeatures than an informational one, andusage strategies will vary accordingly.Still, there are a few basics that will helpyou maximize your online presenceregardless of what kind of site you have.As a general rule of thumb: utilize,publicize and optimize.
The first step is matching the Website to your business needs. For all theinnovations in modern technology, timeis still money. A well–designed Web sitewith good content can answer manyquestions up–front, without wastingclients’ time or yours. If you have aservice company, tell people what youhave to offer. If you sell products, you’vegot a 24–hour point of sale — make iteasy for people to find, order, and pay forwhat they need all at once. Encouragereturn visits by keeping your contentup–to–date with blogs, business updates,current pricing, sales, and staff rosters.Nothing turns customers off morethan outdated, useless information.Like Rome, your Web site should be adestination.
PUBLICIZE: The simplest strategy for makingyour Web site work for you is to letpeople know it exists. More than a goodbusiness card, networking strategy, orprint campaign, your Web site could beyour most effective form of advertising.More and more people turn to theInternet before ever cracking the cover ofa phone book, much less getting in theircar in search of the products or servicesthey need.
Ask yourself this: when you’re drivingdown the road and see a billboardfor something you’re interested in,do you memorize the phone numberand address? Or do you remember afragment of the name and Google it assoon as you get to a computer? Howmany times have you been talking withsomeone and, scrambling for pen andpaper, decide that the information canbe found easily online with a simplesearch? Word of mouth still carries moreweight than any other form of publicity.Getting the word out that you have aWeb site worth visiting is the key todriving business to it. Make your Website attractive and informative, give it amemorable URL, and print the addresson every business card, brochure,invoice, receipt, and e–mail.
OPTIMIZE: Good design is critical for attractingpotential customers, but it also impactsthe functionality of a site. Make sureevery feature works and serves itspurpose. Keep your site content current,relevant and interesting to clients andpotential customers. Enhance youronline presence by hiring a web designeror SEO specialist who understands howto get your site indexed by the searchengines and on the screens of as manypeople as possible. Investing in a goodSEO campaign may be the best way tomaximize the return on your initial website investment.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Makinga Web site work for you takes time,determination, and a little bit of knowhow.Yet the Internet is one of themost efficient and accessible sales andadvertising tools available, and a goodWeb site can be your most useful ally inbuilding your own little empire.
