First and Foremost, Your Web Site is Not for You
The biggest problem today with Web site professionals, is that they don’t keep your best interest in mind. They are intent on developing a design that you will like, not one that will necessarily perform. It may sound strange, but what you are really trying to do is get a message across to your visitors, not to yourself. There is no guarantee that your audience is interested in what you are interested in anyway. 

To combat this, make sure everyone on board focuses on how to effectively appeal to your prospects, clients, media, and other visitors. Ask these questions: What does my visitor want to see? What will encourage them to interact with me, my company and brand? How can I use my site to better assist my customers? Once these have been analyzed, you are ready for the next step, developing the Site Plan.

The Site Plan
The first step in developing a site plan is to further define the objectives of the site. Do you want to generate leads or are you selling online directly? How do you want to go about achieving that goal? How does your site fit into your interactive marketing platform, and for that matter, your overall marketing efforts?

The second step is to outline the navigation, where will each section of the site go, and what will be included in each area.

Last, what will be the focus of the homepage?  What do we want the visitor to see as soon as it loads? Only after all these steps have been considered, do you now contemplate the design element.

Don’t Forget the Basics
Visitors expect sites to function. The content should load quickly, so limit the amount of new software required to view the site. All pages should have content, instead of telling visitors they are under construction, and all links should work.

Second, visitors want Web sites to be easy to view and navigate. No one wants to be confused or get trapped within a site. Requiring the use of the back button to navigate out of a page does not provide a positive user experience. Make sure extra attention is spent on guiding visitors through the site.

Third, and probably one of the most important things you can do for your site, is to make sure that once the visitor has made the decision to interact with your brand they can do it easily. Is there easy access to a phone number or information form? Does your site offer “chat” functionality? Once the visitor initiates contact, is someone available to speak with them?

Better Control with Content Management
When negotiating with your web designer, insist they include a Content Management System with the site. When you know you will have sections of your Web site that require constant updating, changing of content, etc., having one of these administrative systems will allow you the ability to update it internally without the assistance of the Web designer. This feature will save you money and time on the long run.

Guide Your Visitors Experience
When designing your site, you want to guide your visitor instead of allowing them to wander. You can accomplish this by creating “Conversion Scenarios” that lead visitors to specific pages on the site.

Highlight the main features on the homepage of your site and then expand on them on a dedicated landing page. This way, you present your selling features just as if you were in front of a client, only you utilize “clicks” to move to the next step.

The final step is the close. Make sure you have a contact form, contact phone, or a click to call back form at the end so you can truly begin the sales or lead process.               

Put Your Best Foot Forward
Research shows Web sites have less than 10 seconds to get visitors’ attention before they move on to another site. It is important to make sure that you meet your visitors’ expectations immediately upon the site loading. 
With that in mind, make sure you put your best foot forward by placing your most appealing assets front and center. What makes you or your product unique? What edge do you have over the competition? Tell your visitors, but not in a self-serving manner. Inform them in a way that piques their interest.

It’s Not Done Until Your Customers Say So
One of the critical issues in Web development is that everyone thinks the site is done once the client has accepted it. There is one final step after client acceptance is user acceptance. The site is only complete once the content and design have proven to be of interest to the visitor. Do visitors visit the homepage and leave abruptly, or, are they clicking through the site? Are they going to the sections and areas you want them to? These are all metrics you can track and are some of the key indicators of a successful site.

As you can see, it’s not just about design. A well thought-out plan, a solid foundation and a mindset that looks outward at the consumer are what make Web sites successful.

Tim Somers
Bizarre Promotions, Inc.