Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Why Does My Business Website Not Generate New Business?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
The economy is bad, and has been for a while. You are
trying to make your business survive and generate new
customers/clients, but cannot seem to effectively hit your
goal. You wonder what you are doing wrong, if anything.
Have you checked your website recently? Have you ever asked
your client base how they feel about your site? If the
overall design of your site was poorly done, it could deter your
target audience from contacting you. Instilling a sense of
professionalism and trust in prospective clients is crucial in
order for them to contact you. Having a professionally
designed website will deliver confidence and trust in your target
audience, and is one of the best marketing tools out there in
today's technological society.
It is probable you have typed keywords in your favorite search
engine for a local restaurant or weekend getaway. When you
are browsing through the list of sites and stumble across the
poorly designed sites, you instantly think, "I would never go to
this place; the site is cheesy, and cluttered with awful animated
gifs and Flash animations." When you visit a professionally
designed site, you trust it, and it promotes the desire to explore
it. See this example of a restaurant website creating intrigue
with good design.
You may have seen commercials for companies offering stock
template websites for a cheap price; some will even include your
domain name and hosting. The companies promise you can build
the site yourself-all you have to do is drag and drop images into
the template, and magically you have a professional looking
site. Unfortunately the
sites created tend to all look the same and lack the professional
touch that instills trust in a visitor. Professional web
design does not need to break the bank. You can surely find a
professional that will work with you one-on-one and meet and exceed
your expectations at an affordable price. They are out there, give them a
chance.
Try to make a list of desired design aspects before meeting your
designer. Knowing your target audience is crucial, and being
able to explain that to your designer is imperative. Know
what actions you want your target audience to make while viewing
your site. The point of having a site is to spark an interest
in your business and to convince your viewers to do business with
you. Rather than telling your designer "make me a cool website,"
give examples of sites you like and don't like, and discuss a
desired color scheme. Keep in contact with your designer, ask them
to update you with what they have, and keep an open mind to their
suggestions. Remember that you hired them for their creative
skills. Let them flex that creative muscle to really intrigue
your audience. Once you have a new, fresh site, your business
will have a professional, more trustworthy "face" that prospective
clients will extend an interest in.
Keep in mind, building trust with prospective clients is
necessary. A nicely designed website is a great way to build
and gain that trust. You do not have to spend a fortune to
find an exceptional design professional. Develop a good
relationship with your designer and always try to get feedback from
your viewers and current clients about your company's site.
Keep your site maintained and up-to-date with current
standards. Technology constantly evolves, and your site
should too.
Until next time -
Bryan Anderson
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester IT Support &
Consulting
Outsourced Marketing
Services
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