Deciding whether to hire a web design company to make some small changes, or throw out what you have and start all over, isn't always as easy as it would seem. Sometimes, there are pieces or elements of your existing small business site that work quite well; other times you would just rather put off the time and expense for a few months.
So how do you know if your business website needs a minor tune up or a major overhaul? There's no easy answer, but here are a few straightforward signs you should probably give some serious thought to working from scratch:
Your small business website has lots of missing pages and broken links. Those problems could be easy enough to fix by themselves, but they also probably point to a lot of coding, search engine optimization, and content elements that have been neglected for quite a while.
You are getting declining amounts of visitors, online leads, or purchases. However you measure results on your website, if you're getting less of them than before, it could be a sign that the search engines – not to mention potential customers – are seeing your site as stale and not that relevant.
Your existing website has poor functionality. This is simple enough; if it doesn't do the things you'd like it to, or that your customers would like it to, then it's not having as much of an impact on your business as it could.
The look isn't doing much for your company's reputation. Sometimes, there's nothing really "wrong" with the website except that it's past its expiration date. By that, we mean it is just plain ugly. For most businesses, an online presence is an important part of every marketing activity they try. You don't want yours to tell visitors you haven't kept up with the times.
A lot of us can remember having a relative – maybe a father, grandfather, or uncle – who liked to tinker around the house and fix broken faucets, mend light sockets, and otherwise keep things in shape. And reality television is full of men and women who have saved money and had a blast by doing their own renovations. Maybe that's why we run across so many business owners who decide to forgo the time and expense of hiring a professional web design firm and build their own websites, either from scratch or from a template.
That should be a great way to lower your bills and get more involved, shouldn’t it?
It certainly can be, but the sad fact is that most business owners – even the ones who are already fairly web savvy – don't have the expertise to give their site a professional feel. And of those that do, few have the time required to get the job done right.
These days, web design is less like home renovation and more like auto maintenance. Whereas just a couple of decades ago, just about anyone who had some free time and a little understanding could slide under a car, diagnose a problem, and make a quick repair, autos have gotten more complicated. Most have processors and self-monitoring systems that are as expensive as the basic components themselves, and messing with one could easily throw other systems out of whack.
Your company's website is similar. Set things up the wrong way, and you risk having site that doesn't load well on different types of browsers, can crash when you make content updates, can't be found (or is poorly rated) by search engines, and so on. Any of these problems is likely to end up costing you more – in terms of lost business, if not web development expenses – then they could ever hope to save you.
There's nothing wrong with popping the hood and getting your hands dirty a little once in a while; in fact, when it comes to online marketing, a business owner who was closely involved has an enormous advantage over someone who isn't. Think twice before deciding to build your own site, however – what seems like a fun and simple project could end up stalling your business before you can even turn the key.
For all the attention paid to things like social activity and search-optimized blog posts, it’s easy to forget that the static pages on your website – like the home page, about page, and product pages – still have to do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to your Internet marketing plan. After all, it’s likely new and potential customers will view these a lot more frequently than they will your ongoing posts, which means they could make or break the profitability of your website.
But how do you know if your static pages are well written and designed? Here are four easy criteria you can use to judge their quality and effectiveness:
1. Is it easy to find? This might seem like a no-brainer, but no one can react to a page on your website if they can’t find it. Internal linking and menu structure are important here, but so are the appropriate search engine keywords. You can’t control the flow of traffic within your website itself, so things like clear navigation and a prominent “search” box can go a long way toward helping visitors find what they’re looking for.
2. Is it easy to scan and read? People love images, headlines, subheads, and lots of white space on a web page. What they hate are long blocks of text, confusing design elements, and pages that seem complicated. The simplicity of your page touches on both the layout and the copywriting, but the two elements should work together to create an impression that your content is easy to scan and understand.
3. Does it have a specific point and audience? Every web page you have should be tied to a specific audience (that is, what kind of viewer you’re hoping to attract to the page) and a point or purpose. The old rule of thumb to “keep to one idea or topic per page” still applies. You’re much better off having a two- or three-tiered navigation structure with simple, easy-to-understand pages than you are cramming multiple thoughts into a single longer section.
4. Is there a clear call to action? Make it as easy as possible for visitors to register for information, schedule appointments, make a purchase, or complete some other action when they reach the end of your web page. Having too many choices can confuse visitors, but there should be at least one or two options for them to continue and take the next step. That’s helpful for searchers who need answers, and the best way to get leads or customers from your pages.
Of course, when it comes to judging the pages on your website, nothing beats a thorough review of your web analytics to see how actual buyers are responding to them. Still, looking at these four questions should give you a quick sense of whether you’re moving in the right direction or not.
Perhaps it's because there's so many different kinds of web
design companies out there, or because a new small business site represents
such a big expense for a lot owners, but we talk to a lot of potential clients
who end up feeling lost and confused by the process of finding someone to help
them turn their ideas into an Internet reality.
That's completely understandable; finding a creative team
for your small business site isn't really similar to anything else you would do
in the course of running your company. There is more than just pricing or
straightforward quality comparisons to make – each firm has its own style, the
range, way of doing things, etc.
To help you sort through the pack, and make the best
decision possible, here are the three biggest mistakes small business owners
make when hiring a web design firm:
Going with the
cheapest one, no matter what.
Your website is likely to be viewed by more
potential customers than any other marketing piece you'll produce. With that in
mind, it makes sense to think about getting the maximum return on your
investment, not just the lowest upfront cost.
Looking for samples
that show companies similar to yours.
It makes sense that if you run a pet
shop, for example, you'd want a web designer who's worked on lots of other pet
shops, too… right? Sometimes, but not always. That's because even if they
specialize in that type of business, quality should be a key consideration.
Explaining what your company does is usually an easy step; finding someone who
can give you a great-looking design isn't.
Thinking only about
layouts.
Speaking of great-looking designs, there's a lot more that goes
into your website beyond just the simple aesthetics. From HTML coding to custom
web apps and even search engine optimization, you want to choose a team that
can help give you everything you need to build a stronger company, not just put
up a pretty online brochure. Be sure to ask your web designer what kind of
experience and philosophy they have towards helping you market your new site –
not just put it on the Internet.
In any field, there are characteristics that inevitably determine which companies will last and those whose tenure will be short-lived. One of these characteristics is having well-defined guiding principles. Serving as a guidepost in making decisions both big and small, these principles, or core values, are not simply chosen like a wish list of company traits might be, but rather cherry-picked from that organization’s existing culture and highest virtues.
Generally defined as “principles that guides an organization's internal conduct as well as its relationship with the external world,” core values can also be defined as unchanging, while being timeless and to sustainable long term, as they were in the book, “Startup Culture: Values vs. Vibe” by Chris Moody,
At Kinetik Information Technology, we provide website design, SEO internet marketing, software development and computer network services and solutions that move our clients forward. We accomplish this through uncompromising dedication to our own well-defined core values and principles, including:
- Integrity
- Service
- Loyalty
- Value
- Excellence
- Dedication
Of course, our principles will only be meaningful, if each of us at Kinetik IT consistently strives to excel in everything we do, surpassing our set standards. After all, an organization can only expand and achieve greatness through the pursuit of excellence and growth of each individual team member.
To learn more about services and products, and to stay up to date with Kinetik IT, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com or follow Kinetik on Facebook, LinkedInor Twitter.