Advatanges Of Having A Web Site

Image: What are the benefits to the company's image?

A website will give your company a corporate identity on the web. Studies show that most small to medium enterprises do not yet have an online presence, this would give you the edge over your competitors.

The key to getting any business off the ground is recognition, a website would promote your company logo/colours - image recognition has been proven to be more effective than a name alone could ever be.

Your website would finalise your professional business image by acting as a 'business card' for business-business relationships and for clients alike.

Marketing: What marketing advantages can be gained?

The obvious advantages of a website is the increased customer base that it generates as it acts as a form of advertisement and as the site is internationally available. Unlike most marketing ploys a website is without limits, unlike Commercials which are length constrained, unlike flyers/leaflets which are limited in size. A website is very easy to update, no need to reprint/re-record and can be done so within minutes.

The more visitors to the site, the more sales that are likely to be generated therefore marketing the site is a very important step.

Ways to promote the site can range from special offers being made available via the website only, linking to related websites and getting them to link in return is a great way of increasing traffic but can draw customers away to competitors sites that are linked. Submitting your site to search engines is the most effective form of promoting your site. A Search Engine allows someone looking for the products, services or information that your company offers to find your site in a matter of seconds.

Your website can also supplement your current marketing, adding your internet address to commercials, flyers, or other promotional material can let your customers know that they can access more information about your company with ease.

A website can generate a form of marketing in itself, by allowing your visitors to submit their e-mail addresses and interests, details etc. they can be sent updates, news, sales information via e-mail based on this information.

Customer Service: How will our customers benefit?

A website will provide your customers with improved service, a website is available out of office hours, there are no call costs (especially for international customers) and it is ideal for deaf customers who need more information.

It can give your customers instant forms of communication via order forms, information requests or a feedback form that could allow anonymous feedback to be made, allowing your customers to give you their opinion and for you to act upon it.

With an E-Commerce site you can show your products via pictures, descriptions etc. without the need for expensive to print catalogues or for the customer to wait for delivery.

As the amount of users on the Internet increases, the public expect even small businesses to have websites.

Design: What should we think of when designing our site?

The main consideration when acquiring a website is design. A good design can benefit your business but a bad design can considerably hinder it. When designing a website the following should be kept in mind

Simplicity:
A websites design should be kept simple, east-to-use and consistent, i.e. same colour schemes, position of navigation/logo etc. through out site. The easiest way to achieve this is to use a template for the entire site.
Content:
The content of the site should be up-to-date, relevant and not redundant. It should be split up into sensible sections for the site. Most important content to be included should be contact details or not only the company but also the design/maintenance team of the website itself. Other information would be a brief history of the company, information about its current status and products/services.
Web Safe Colours:
The site should stick to the 216 web safe colours for correct viewing and cross browser consistency. Colours should be taken from the company's logo/colours to create an immediately recognised feel to the site.
W3C Standards:
The World Wide Web Consortiums standard, guidelines and recommendations should all be followed to ensure that the site is going to be viewable on all browsers and appear as intended.