What Are the Key Factors When Selecting a Web Design Company? This seems like a very broad question. I don’t think it needs to be. Here are some things I would recommend looking for:
Teaching a Web Content Management class recently I included a “jargon” take home test that was handed to our attendees at the end of the class. I have always been very sensitive to computer jargon since my college days – where I studied computer science. I actually have always been uncomfortable with using it – in particular when you know the jargon to be confusing to the person that is not an actual computer geek. It is important to learn the web jargon to empower yourself.
Over the last year in particular I have really become aware of the important connection between a website owner and their website. The arrival of Content Management Systems have provided website owners with the opportunity to update their websites directly. In my opinion (and most important), allowing the website owner to be an active participant in the process. Great websites require great team work.
If you were asked today how did your website perform this year could you give an informed, statistical answer? Websites are now a key component of most business. Understanding how this area performed, and what changes or improvements might be needed should be at least an annual part of business planning.
In the domain world (the world that is constantly changing). There are some handy domain tools that can help you keep ahead of the game. In particular, there is a website called “Snapnames.com” that provides several domain services. However, none greater than being able to place a backorder on an existing (and taken) domain name…
Analysis & Communication – A Key Ingredient in Designing A Great Website. Of all the areas of web design and development that I enjoy the most – our Web Design meetings really rank highly for the part they play in ensuring a great website result for the client. The key to those meetings is analysis before hand (usually the sales process and preparation for the design meeting). Then, great open communication with your client during the design meeting.
Have you ever visited a website that, the minute it opened, you said “Wow!” or “I like this site!”? I actually do this every time I visit a great looking website.
Been thinking about Web Advertising? My company BeareWare has become very active in the online advertising market over the last 12 months.
While the American summer has been fast coming to and end I have been Down Under in Australia celebrating my parents 50th wedding anniversary. I am still pinching myself at the thought of two people sharing 50 years together raising 4 children and now 5 grand children. What an amazing feat (and a great reason to return home to Australia for a celebration and short visit). While Googleing Down Under, I discovered some interest redirects with my searches.
When you think about your website you may have the “misconception” that everyone who visits your website will generally enter thru the home page. It is important to focus on landing pages
Visitors May Land on Many Pages, Not Just the Home Page
When you consider search links from specific pages (based on topic searches) and marketing landing pages it is possible that people may be coming to your website from a variety of what is known as “Landing Pages”.
But Surely You Really Want Them to Come to Your Home Page?
When we design a client’s website – we always focus on our key action items being easily accessed and prominent on the home page. I have no doubt the home page is usually most trafficked entry point BUT – lets say you are running a special or you have a specific area of you business (or many areas that may require some more custom information). If you can get a visitor to land directly on this page and they like what the see – you can still get a result you want from your client. One of the biggest reasons for these landing pages is the behavior of web visitors. Generally people will come to your site and leave very quickly – so you want to get visitors to their area of interest – VERY QUICKLY!
So What Type of Landing Pages Are There?
I had mentioned the search engine (a user searches for a keyword or key phrase and the search engine matches a specific page on your website that has the key search information). To elaborate on this – you may have a page on your website titled “Gladeville Web Design” – and then you may also have the words appearing in the page several times – repeating Gladeville Web Design.
Search Engines Create Landing Page Links!
A person goes to google and types the keywords “Gladeville Web Design” – and a link to your webpage appears as a result. The link takes you straight to the specific Web Design page. This is a landing page (as the person landed on your website thru this link). Remember not all landing pages are planned – or controlled from your end. So having an incomplete website or poor content that you don’t consider will accessed by visitors will not serve you well when search engines select landing pages based on search criteria.
Landing Pages Can Be Advertising Campaigns (Internal & External)
Advertising campaigns within the website that will have your banner ads linking you directly to a specials page where you can elaborate on your advertisement and get a desired result (a call or inquiry e-mail). This could be both internal advertising – or advertising on another website. This is an area where advertisers make a big mistake in creating a custom ad for their special or product – but link the click-thru to their home page (instead of an elaboration of the advertisement). Quite often the visitor cannot actually find any further information about the ad – and frustrated they leave the website. Advertising landing pages are a very IMPORTANT PART OF ADVERTISING…
Landing Pages That Are Custom Domain Name Routing
Another great use to get folks to key landing pages is domain routing. This is the process where you are actually using a domain name (that is routing to a specific page on your website). Let say we want to run an advertising campaign – that promotes selling Real Estate in the Gladeville area. We acquire the domain name www.gladevillerealestate.com – which will allow for the direct use of the domain name – both thru search engines or a marketing campaign. Of course you may have many areas within your site (for Real Estate) – but we run a specific advertisements promoting Gladeville Real Estate – and our domain name takes you straight there.
Every Page Can Be a Powerful Entry Point
Recently when meeting with a group of clients I stated that the client should consider that there are multiple ways people will get to their website – and they will not always enter thru the home page. I could tell this was very eye opening to the clients. It really makes you think of how you can make every page on your website work hard for your. There is no doubt Landing Pages are a great way for web visitors to go to a specific web page (that may satisfy their specific intent).
Think Creatively About Visitor Entry Paths
Keep your mind open when thinking about your website and the way the visitors land on your website. Think creative and flexible and your website will serve you well!
Cheers Mate,
Peter Beare – Webmaster
Peter Beare is CEO of BeareWare, a Website Design & Development Company located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Since building his first website for a local sports club in 1998 Peter has been a webmaster. Over the last 10 years Peter’s duties with BeareWare have included website planning, design and development, website marketing and sales, as well as database application programming & project management. But when all is said and done, Peter is still a webmaster and this is “Interview with a Webmaster“.