Tech and Web, Trends and Profile NEWS

Taking your company’s website to the next level

By Guest contributors for CEOWORLD Magazine Updated:August 9, 2009

It’s hard to keep pace with the digital world. What was acceptable two years ago might now be recognized as old-fashioned, and obsolete. Your company probably has a website. But because you’re typically focusing on the bigger picture (i.e. bottom lines, optimization, the effects of the Recession), it’s hard to keep up with the smaller parts of the process.

Take a break. Go browse some websites, and have a look at how they are laid out. Now take a step back and examine your own website. If you’re lucky, then you have someone constantly updating your website (keep reading, because improvements can still be made). If not, then chances are you’ll find your website a bit…err, outdated. Don’t panic.

Why do I need a well-designed website?

In case this is the question you’re asking, I’ll come right out and say that first-impressions are extremely important. Even though the proverbial saying “Never judge a book by its cover,” is widespread, the reality is that many people still do (I was once reading a book called Ender’s Game – thank God I gave it a quick scan, because the cover definitely didn’t sell it). If that’s how the game is played, then why not work it to your advantage?

Chances are your website address is on your business card. Would you want a client to gape in shock as, after a nice lunch meeting with you, they open your webpage to find an old text-based and static website with outdated design and lacking in graphics? Sure, they might still do business – but at the same time client might be keener to do business with your more tech-savvy competitors. Don’t lose business.

Or maybe you’re just starting out and don’t want to waste your time here. Again, I’ll stress on the importance of first-impressions; the better your design, the more impressed clients will be. And who can ever turn down potential clients – who are all twice as important when you’re starting off?

Even if your business isn’t that web-oriented, a well-designed website (with SEO implemented) can turn the entire world into a market. Potential customers will stumble upon your site, get hit by that awesome design, and then browse around your website and inevitably take a look at the products you sell or the services you offer.

Let me also address one last point – I won’t be so vain as to say that design is the only part of the website that is important. Your website needs to be updated! Talk about why your products or services are important, and why they matter. Take advantage of your website and take the first step in developing a relationship with consumers and potential clients.

What do I need to do?

If your website isn’t well-designed, then the obvious option would be to hire a designer (more on this later). Before you go ahead and do that, remember what I said about updating your website. A lot of websites are static and don’t have updated content – simply a catalog of their products and whatnot. This isn’t the most effective way of marketing your products or services – make sure your customers know why what you do is important!

I won’t even touch on blogging. No doubt as a CEO, you would have heard of it and considered it. If you’re starting to think about it now, then I recommend doing a quick Google search of how a blog can build traffic towards your business. If you’re interested in taking a step in this direction, I’ll recommend using a content management system (like WordPress) to base your blog around.

Secondly, remember that although design and graphics usually go hand-in-hand, you don’t want to go overboard. The best designs are streamlined and simple, so they can load quickly, but have just the right touch of graphics to make them perfect. A search bar could be useful, and so could an about page or a well-structured archives page. Remember that the design should empower the reader to find your content.

As I mentioned before, the most obvious and ideal solution would be to hire a designer, as it guarantees your website a unique layout and design, which is essential to branding. However, unique designs can be expensive – so why not try purchasing a premium theme? Because of the cost, these themes will generally appear on fewer websites and will have better functionality.

Please, do me (and yourself) a favor by resolving to updating your website on a regular basis. This way, you’ll start gaining readership and you’ll be able to tap into the Internet market. I hate seeing business opportunities wasted.

A Word to Freelancers

Guess what? You’re still a CEO (the boss of yourself, as I see it). And guess what else? You’ll probably need to rely on your website a lot more than the big guys do. Your web site is your portfolio, your ticket to the external world. So dedicate a piece of yourself to it. Don’t get too personal, but update it often with new work and case studies.

Also, try building traffic to it! The more people that know about you, the better. A little bit of social media magic never hurt (but that in itself is an entire post, and more).

Consider it an Investment…

I’ve given you the push – now it’s time to decide whether or not you want to invest in a tool that pushes your website to the next level. If you do, know that this is only the first step in the process.

——
By Herbert Lui

Like this article! ‹ How to Become Self-Sufficient With the Internet! How to Create the Right Website for Your Business ›
Share this Post: Get It Delivered To Your Inbox