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Web Design & Development
- Getting Results

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Getting results with your Web site

A Business Asset. A Web site is vital to promoting your business locally or globally. Carefully planned and administered Web sites can promote your company beyond the limitations of conventional advertising and localized promotional materials. By using the Internet and your Web site, your potential customers have access to your product, information or services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your Web site can even be used as an online store to sell and market your products or services to those who don’t have access to your retail space.

Designing an Internet presence that helps develop your brand is not an easy task. Many Web site companies can develop an "electronic brochure". However, crafting a Web site that helps develop a "relationship" with your brand and your customers requires forethought, skill and proper planning. Here is the process by which your Web site should be developed.

Setting Strategy

'Fail to plan, plan to fail'. It’s a well-used phrase, because it’s true. Here are some of the key considerations that you need to review before starting on any Web site development.

• Revenue & marketing objectives e.g. what customer service or return-on-investment issues can your Web site address?
• Brand objectives e.g. how will your Web site positively reinforce your brand?
• Target markets (demographics, geographic origin) - who is the decision maker in purchases?
• Competition e.g. how do you clearly differentiate your Web site and brand from the competition in a way that gets the right results for your business & marketing objectives?
• Getting repeat traffic e.g. what do you offer to bring visitors back to your Web site again and again?

Initial Planning & Development

During this stage, domain name(s) are chosen to reflect what your Web site will offer. Your domain name should be easy for your customers to remember and should contain the 'keywords' present in your business name or in the products or services you offer to optimize search engine ranking (See 'search engine submission' below). Also, an evaluation of you current email structure takes place to ensure you continue to receive your business emails during the development of your Web site.

Template Design

At this stage, your Web site hits the drawing board where its look and presentation are developed. Graphics, color schemes, and layouts are carefully planned to match your company's current brand identity. Images and layout graphics are optimized to allow your customers who have slower modems to download your site quickly. Once complete, a sample page is created and placed online. The template is then reviewed with the client, where changes or modifications can be made.

Layout Design

Text, images and design elements are added to your site. Properly arranged, your site will have an attractive and informative look. Dynamic technologies are used to bring life to your Web site. Forms and update-able content allow your customers to interact with your company via email, or order and reserve your services from their computer.

Draft Review & Testing

Once development has reached this stage, the project is reviewed with the client. Requested modifications are carried out and applied to the template and layout design. Once approved, the testing stage begins.

Web site Testing

This step is very important to ensure your Web site is both free of programming errors and is compatible to all customers who will visit your site. Why is this important? When a customer visits your Web site, something as simple as a broken hyperlink or browser error message can mean the difference between a sale and a lost customer. Also, there are many different browser types and versions used today. Your Web site is created to be compatible with these different programs and is thoroughly tested in several ways to ensure all your potential customers have a positive experience while visiting your site.

Final Review & Evaluation

Once the testing stage is complete, and all sections of your Web site are developed and functional, a final review takes place before a "live" copy is placed online. This gives both the client and the developer a chance to review the project and make final changes if necessary. This is important to ensure that no small details have been overlooked, and the Web site is ready for the public. Once client approval has been given, the Web site is placed online and marketing of the site can begin.

Search Engine Submission

First, your Web site is submitted to directories and/or other relevant websites. Getting listed on important directories or other relevant websites helps search engines "find" your website. Your website is submitted to directories using relevant titles, descriptions and keywords.

• Title - This is the name that appears in the search engine results page. It should contain your business name as well as some keywords that reflect your business or products / services.
• Keywords - These are words that are "hidden" in the programming of your Web site. Some search engines seek out these hidden words to help categorize your site in their directory. These keywords should contain your business name, location, products, services, people, and related words.
• Description - This is a short sentence that is also hidden in the programming of your Web site. Most search engines seek out this description and list it under your title in the search results page. It should contain a brief description of your business and what you have to offer.

Maintenance & Continued Marketing

A review of your Web site at least every 3 months is ideal to assure that it is functioning properly. As the Internet evolves, it is important to make sure your site matches the new standards and technologies that are present. Maintenance of your Web site also helps to ensure:

• Offsite hyperlinks are up to date (links to other Web sites)
• Compatibility with newer browsers
• Search engine position and ranking
• Content of your Web site is current and up to date
• Proper functionality of your Web site.

Final Notes

Posting an electronic brochure on-line is a simple task. Developing a Web site that gets you a return on investment is another. Attention to proper Web site development creates Web sites that are strategically planned: they’re geared to your market & business objectives, they look good, they are functional, they are easy to find and they reinforce your brand!

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