… or do you want a website that creates additional business for your company. 8 tips for being successful on the web

1.Consistent & professional design

More and more often your website is the first point of contact with your company and it will give visitors a first impression of your business. A first impression can only be made once, so make sure your website has a professional layout and be consistent about that layout in all marketing material (online or off-line). The structure of your website has to be simple and predictable, the last thing you want is to confuse your visitors

2.Look at your website through the eyes of the visitor

In most cases your visitor is looking for a solution, not a product. We often see that websites are built like a large store without the guidance of a friendly salesperson who points you to the right solution for your problem. In contrary to what many business owners believe, your visitors and clients are no specialists in the products & services you offer. Help them to find the solution for their problem or need, make their visit a pleasant and easy journey.

3.Build to act – Trigger your visitors

The ultimate goal is to convert the anonymous visitor into a loyal customer. The first step is to trigger your visitors for action and to convert that anonymous visitor into a named lead or even better into an online sale. For those without an online shop you can try an order form for free samples or a free trial of your service, a free subscription to your newsletter, a registered access to “premium content” like whitepapers, presentations, articles

4.Your website should not be technology driven

Of course there is a set of new technologies every year that you can explore and integrate in your website, but your website is not just about technology. It uses technology to spread your message and nothing more than that.

5.Every visitor is important

Don't exclude visitors, that one visitor could have been your next major client. Your website should be viewable in every major browser and accessible from every device

6.Your website is never done

Give your visitors a reason to return to your website, after all you're after loyal customers. Work on your online relationship with your (potential) customer, for instance by regularly renewing content of their interest. Make sure you can do this by yourself without the involvement of your IT department or the web-agency that has built your website. A review of the results of your site every now and then is advisable. Small adaptations can make a big difference

7.Be found

Search engines play an important role in attracting new visitors to your website, so give some love to the search engine optimisation of your web-project.
Promote your website on every occasion, people might forget about the exact services or products you're offering but if they can remember your website you're half way there. Put your URL on all printed media, on your company cars, on your mugs, on your ballpoints, everywhere!

8.Fast & always available

People don't have time (or at least that's their perception), so slow servers or heavy pages that negatively impact the user experience are not done. The same goes for the availability of your website, use a reliable host that is dedicated to keep the downtime to the bare minimum.