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Last edition we talked about why an online presence for your company makes a lot of business sense. With more people turning to mouse-click Google for information, we're seeing more and more slabs of Yellow Pages doubling as makeshift monitor stands. As an extension of your business (and often the first point of contact for your customers) your webspace needs to make a positive impression. A good web designer or developer can help you do this while helping you to maximise your site's online potential. Sadly in reality, however, hiring a web expert is a luxury most small businesses can't afford.
Get vocal and blog
Instead of a "news" section on your website, start a blog. By doing this, you can talk about your business and also any topics relating to your business. You can also submit your blog/site to various blog tracking websites like Technorati and also social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us, digg and reddit. Plus, the more frequently you update your blog, the more it will be recognised and bookmarked by people who visit your site. Appearances count
Hand-in-hand with decent content, great design goes a long way. Make sure your contact details are easy to find, on the front page, and not tucked away. Keep it simple
Large blocks of content can make your site clunky and hard to use. Keep it clean, easy to read and dead simple. If you need to share a lot of information, try making it more readable by using lists or dot points. Spread your link
Think of ways you can spread the word about your website's address. You can include a link to your site in your email signature or the signature of any forums you post on. Think of the Search Engines
Search engine visits will most likely account for a large percentage of hits to your site. So, paying attention to basic Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques will help your website get more attention. The main thing you need to do here is ensure that all your pages, links and images are properly titled. By doing this, you'll improve your site's visibility on the web. Want to learn more about SEO? Give Googling a go or read more here. Nobody likes to wait
Make sure your site loads quickly by not bogging it down with large files. If you have photos you want to put on the site, it helps to resize them first. Check and double check
It's just common sense - spell and grammar check your site. Making sure your site's information is up-to-date and accurate increases its standing as a reliable source. |
