| These days, a website isn't optional. It's a necessity | | | | your site gets stale - something that's sure to |
| for any business or organization. A good website | | | | antagonize your members or customers. |
| imparts legitimacy, communicates a clear message, | | | | When looking for a website design firm, select one |
| disseminates information, and reaches a targeted | | | | that offers a comprehensive Content Management |
| audience. Unfortunately, many websites fall short in | | | | System (CMS) that enables you to maintain your |
| one or more of these goals, either due to poor | | | | website on your own. With a CMS, you should be |
| website design and development, inadequate search | | | | able to add an unlimited number of new pages and |
| engine optimisation, or a lack of maintenance. | | | | sub-pages; edit existing pages; place elements like |
| Whether you want to launch a new website, or need | | | | text, images, and document downloads on a page; |
| to redesign your existing site, it's vitally important to | | | | and automatically generate a sitemap. The CMS |
| select your web designers and web developers | | | | should work within a WYSIWYG (what you see is |
| carefully. Here are key factors to consider: | | | | what you get) environment, so you or your staff |
| 1. Select a full-service company. All too often, | | | | members don't have to be sophisticated |
| organizations and businesses contract out their | | | | programmers to use the system. |
| website design and development work in a piecemeal | | | | 3. Combine website and search engine optimisation. |
| fashion, with one company doing the design, another | | | | You can have the most beautiful site on the web, |
| doing the programming, a third writing content, and a | | | | but if no one can find it, your website might as well |
| fourth working on search engine optimisation. In the | | | | not exist. If you're going to spend money on website |
| process, any semblance of cohesiveness falls by the | | | | design and development, you should go the extra |
| wayside. The designer doesn't understand the | | | | mile and ensure that the site is optimised for search |
| importance of the content, the programmer messes | | | | engines, so your target audience can find it, and that |
| with the design, and the optimisation expert mucks | | | | the site is optimised for visitors, so that users can |
| up the programming. All of these factors cause | | | | easily and quickly find the information they need once |
| delays and cost overruns, which in turn cause you | | | | they reach your site. |
| endless headaches. It's best to select one reliable | | | | There are a variety of methods that can be utilized |
| full-service company that will provide you with all of | | | | to achieve both goals, so ensure that you select a |
| the services you need and that can coordinate all | | | | website design and development firm that can track |
| aspects of your website, from domain name | | | | and monitor your site's performance, provide you |
| registration and hosting to performance optimisation | | | | with recommendations for improvement, modify your |
| and even Internet marketing. | | | | site's pages and code, and perform keyword |
| 2. Think about long-term maintenance. A common | | | | research. |
| mistake made by businesses and organizations that | | | | By finding the right company to work with, |
| they don't plan for the future. You may have a | | | | incorporating a CMS to minimize long-term |
| beautiful, fully functional new website, but what | | | | development costs, and ensuring that your site is |
| happens a month from now, when you need to add | | | | optimised for search engines and visitors, your |
| new content or change existing information? Chances | | | | website can effectively reach your target audience |
| are, you either pay exorbitant ongoing development | | | | and communicate your message loudly and clearly. |
| fees to have a company update your content, or | | | | |