| All businesses today need a website, whether you | | | | Millionaire... |
| want to gain more customers via search engines and | | | | Joking aside, Google is very important, getting your |
| advertising like AdWords or you just want to add | | | | pages nearer the top for prime searches can make a |
| substance to your business for your existing clients, | | | | difference of hundreds of website hits per month (or |
| websites are a very important element in your | | | | even in a day!!), but a great looking site doesn't mean |
| business' success. | | | | a great ranking site - The saying "Content is King" is |
| However many small businesses never seem to allow | | | | smack on, Google loves content - a good trick for |
| budget or enough budget to build their websites, | | | | building a site on a real budget, that can be ranked |
| often deciding to build it themselves, to get someone | | | | well is to just set up a free blog on a system such |
| in the office to build it or to get a friend who's 'good | | | | as Blogger, buy a cheap domain name, point it to |
| with computers' to build one for them. - This is | | | | your blog home page, then fill your blog with relevant |
| generally false economy and can often do more | | | | content. |
| harm than good. | | | | 4. Test and Measure - Several years ago I worked |
| Professionally built websites can now be bought for | | | | with a business consultant who analysed everything |
| as little as a couple of hundred pounds and involve a | | | | and I mean everything within businesses and then he |
| lot of additional 'behind the scenes' work done by the | | | | helped to make improvements - all he ever said was |
| web designer, however, if you do decide to follow | | | | "Test and Measure, Test and Measure" - "how can |
| the DIY route, here are 5 things that can help you to | | | | you improve something if you don't know how it |
| gain success: | | | | performs already?". |
| 1. Make it look right - Many people think that design is | | | | I have a lot of people who come to me and want to |
| just a case of choosing some nice colours and adding | | | | improve hits and traffic on their website, when I ask |
| loads of different typestyles. In fact, they couldn't be | | | | them how many hits do you currently receive a |
| further from the truth - professional design and web | | | | month?, I generally just get blank looks back, then |
| design in particular is a very in-depth subject - from | | | | most of them reply - "we don't know". |
| colour palettes through to usability, companies spend | | | | From day one of your site going live, add an analytics |
| millions of pounds every year on web design and | | | | system to your website - some hosting companies |
| corporate identity - Learn from the big boys, take a | | | | will include this in their hosting package - to use these |
| look at the leaders in your field, what are they doing? | | | | systems just log into your hosting control panel and |
| Don't copy their sites, but just take a look and see | | | | look for analytics or statistics, if you do not have this |
| what is commonly done - a lot can be learnt from | | | | you can use a system such as Google Analytics |
| studying your opposition - and always remember, | | | | (Which I personally prefer) - just type Google |
| when it comes to design - KISS (Keep It Simple | | | | Analytics into Google, click the link and follow the |
| Stupid!!) - Less really is more, don't go building your | | | | instructions - once signed up you will need to paste a |
| site with 20 different typestyles - stick to one or | | | | bit of HTML code into all of the web pages you want |
| two, it really will look better and plain fonts such as | | | | to track, you can do this by opening the pages in a |
| Arial look more modern than fonts with serifs such as | | | | text editor such as Notepad. |
| Times - Take a look at Apple's website, it really | | | | Once installed you will be able to view a multitude of |
| couldn't be any simpler in design - but it looks and | | | | data - such as how many people are visiting your site |
| works great. | | | | every day, where they are coming from, what pages |
| 2. Let Google read your text - Whether your building | | | | they are looking at etc, etc... |
| your site with a program such as FrontPage, Mr Site, | | | | This is one of the most important elements of a |
| Dreamweaver or having a go at programming raw | | | | website - if something you are doing on a certain |
| HTML with a text editor, don't be tempted to take | | | | page is attracting more attention, then do more of it, |
| the easy route, especially when it comes to putting | | | | if something on a page seems to be turning your |
| your text in - years ago it was quite common for | | | | customers away, then change it and quick. |
| sites (even professionally built ones) to be completely | | | | 5. Website Hosting and Free Hosting - Another |
| built in programs such as Flash or to be built using | | | | website element is hosting, web hosting is the |
| pages of graphics, sliced up and positioned on screen | | | | location your website sits on the internet - like a hard |
| in tables. | | | | drive that everybody can see. This is an annual |
| The reason people did this? - One reason was for | | | | charge and although generally it isn't that expensive, |
| ease, design the pages in a graphics program such as | | | | it is still another cost when setting up on a budget. |
| Photoshop then just cut and paste the images into a | | | | Now I would always recommend purchasing a proper |
| webpage. Another reason was for consistency - put | | | | hosting package from a reputable company, but if |
| your text content in your webpage as graphics and | | | | you're on a real budget many companies offer free |
| hey presto, everyone will see the same layout, same | | | | hosting - The downside of this is they generally want |
| font style etc.. | | | | you to add their advertisements to your site, but if |
| Why should you not do this? - Well for a start, | | | | you're starting out, it is a great way to get going - |
| slower loading pages (because of all the graphics) but | | | | just type 'free web hosting' into Google and take |
| more importantly, Search Engines such as Google | | | | your pick, however, as soon as your budget allows I |
| need text on web pages to index from - put it all in | | | | would recommend switching to your own purchased |
| as graphics and your site is pretty much invisible to | | | | package. |
| Google. | | | | The downsides of free hosting are that they |
| 3. Content is King - Google, Google, Google - I hear it | | | | generally are not as reliable as purchased packages |
| all day long, but people are right, Google can make or | | | | and the added advertisements will cheapen the look |
| break businesses - Get a site working well with | | | | of your site and branding. |
| Google and this time next year you could be a | | | | |