effective planning for a successful Website

First things first…Creating a really effective Website takes a great deal of careful preparation – and some effort on your part, too.

What do you want it to do?

• Raise local interest?
• Raise national interest?
• Raise international interest?
• Compete with other businesses?
• Communicate with existing customers?
• Communicate with colleagues?
• Attract new customers?
• Facilitate e-commerce?

Whatever the reason, view your Website through the eyes of a user.

• Identify what you do better than others.
• Demonstrate the benefits offered by your experience.
• Make your site better - easier and clearer - than the competition.

Planning the structure
Your Website must have structure, based on the priorities of your key message.

Draw your own site plan.

• Which information should be in your Main sections (accessible from every page on the site)?
• Which information can be in your Subsections (accessible from each Main section)?
• And what about Explanations (small pop up windows or detailed sub pages for specifications)?
• Always aim for easy navigation – whether it’s ‘self select’ or ‘guided’.
• Always insist on well-written content.

First you must decide what you want to say to your visitors

• What do you want to tell them?
• What do you want to sell them?
• What will they want to do?
• What do you want them to do?
• What is your most important message?
• Research is a key element in the design of a successful Website.

Know your customers

• What are their needs?
• How can you satisfy them?
• How can you make them use you?
• How do they prefer to get in touch?

Know your competition
To create a site that ‘makes the difference’, you must know:

• Their identities.
• Their strengths and weaknesses.
• Your own strengths.
• What you do better.
• How you can prove it.
• How you can demonstrate the benefits of your product or service.

You’ve got just one chance to make a good impression

• Start and finish with key messages.
• Highlight special offers.
• Emphasise specialities.
• Accentuate strengths.
• ….And don’t overload your site with technical information

Avoid "Web Rage"
A recent study says that over 50% of all Internet users are enraged at least once a week

• 87% are enraged when sites are slow to download.
• 83% find help buttons unhelpful.
• 82% don't want to provide details before being allowed into a site

Well-written Websites work harder.

• Well-chosen words are crucial to the effective delivery of your message.
• That’s why we’re always glad when our clients invest in a specialist copywriter.
• Remember - you may only get one chance to impress your visitors.
• So get your text written professionally.

Page structure

• Information on your site must be distributed carefully and logically.
• Plan your page layout for maximum impact.
• Prioritise information.
• Identify key facts.
• Keep it short.

Digestibility

• Ensure that you’re easily understood.
• And easily remembered.
• Avoid jargon.
• Keep to the point.
• Make it easy to read.
• FOCUS on your busy customer

Clear & Legible
The type should be neither too big nor too small. This type is 12 point.
If you need a lot of text, create a further sub-page.
Remember - it’s a Website, not a brochure!

Pictures
Simple illustration beats wordy description.
Keep file sizes small for fast download.
Make your pictures relevant.
Use professional photos and line drawings.

Giving your site an unfair advantage.
Having submitted your site to the major search engines:

• Our Monitoring and Maintenance packages keep it in top condition.
• Our Search Engine Optimisation ensures that keywords and phrases are regularly updated.

Promote your site – everywhere you can!
Stationery
Vehicles
Advertisements.
Radio/TV Commercials
Posters.
Brochures.
Business cards.
Newspaper articles
Even till rolls!

Promoting your site increases visitors – which increases business.