WEB PAGE DESIGN FEATURES
Define Yourself
Because of the growing number of businesses that are getting
on the Internet, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish
your company online. Consider developing a different logo...even
a different company name....for your Internet presence. The name
and logo should be clear, concise and instantly convey who you
are and what you do. Your storefront should be consistant with
the overall theme of your business. A tag line, or identifying
phrase, may help accomplish this. Also, put your home page and
e-Mail addresses on everything possible, including traditional
promotional materials such as brochures, press releases and print
advertisements. Your customers can't buy your products and services
on the Internet if they don't know where to find you.
Design a Professional, Pleasing
and Practical...Home Page
Design a home page that is graphically pleasing, well-organized
and that will show up clearly, even on older computers. But remember:
That intricate, three-dimensional image at the heart of your home
page may be impressive, but not everyone has the patience to wait
three or four minutes for it to download to their computer. Still,
home pages should be colorful, offer plenty of options and be
easy to use. Online customers don't see you; they see your home
page. Consider hiring a professional designer to make your Internet
presentation as sharp as those of the big corporations. Also,
as with traditional storefronts, you can establish as many locations
as your budget will allow.
Be Interactive
Your home page should allow users to obtain more information by
clicking buttons and sending e-Mail messages directly to you.
They'll respond better to your message without the strong-arm
tactics often used in traditional advertising mediums. Internet
users are generally well-educated. They don't want to be told
what to buy...they want to find out for themselves. And remember
that inquiries should be handled promptly and completely...there's
nothing like a slow response to undermine the cutting-edge, high-tech
image you're trying to create.
Provide Information
Online marketing requires a completely different mindset than
print or broadcast mediums, especially given the fact that the
highly educated pool of Interent users shy away from pushy, blatant
advertising messages. While you have virtually unlimited space
to get your message across, you are also expected to put little,
if any, pressure on your readers in providing that message. Confine
direct advertisements to bulletin boards designed specifically
for that purpose. Then, on your home page, consider conducting
surveys and providing the results, compiling listings of useful
resources or publishing a newsletter or magazine with practical
industry information.
Test Your Offerings
Online services give you the ability to test a product or service
offering before finalizing it. Software publishers, for example,
offer scaled-down versions of their programs as shareware. Users
can download these free programs and try them out before purchasing
the full version. You can also peruse newsgroups for your particular
industry to gain insight into what customers want and need.
Integrate Your Messages
While each marketing medium...online or traditional....requires
a specialized approach, your message should be consistent throughout.
Again, remember to incorporate your logo, typeface, tag line,
colors, graphics and e-mail address into everything you put out.
And don't confine your message to the Internet. It may be an effective
means of marketing, but it should not be your only one. Not everyone
is online.
Make Ordering Easy
Once you've hooked a customer on your product or service, give
him or her an instant way to order. Include an order form on your
home page that is clear and simple...some users get scared off
by overly complicated or detailed forms. and remember to include
an alternate means of purchasing the product. Despite the spread
of secure lines of communication, many Internet surfers are still
wary of sending their credit card number over the Net.
Form Relationships
You can save money by forming marketing relationships with businesses
that complement your own. This will allow you to pool your resources
in developing a home page. And you can cut your costs in half
by evenly sharing the expenses.
Get the Word Out...Offline
Advertise in magazines that are widely read by Internet users,
and always include your home page and e-mail addresses. Contribute
articles or opinion columns to magazines covering your industry,
as well as those that deal with online services...and reprint
those articles. You can highlight this pubishing success on your
home page and give readers a way to order reprints online.
Personal Touch
Online services may allow you to reach far more customers than
is possible through traditional means, but they bring with them
the challenge of personalizing your communications. Use human
language, as if you are speaking to each customer individually.
Give them a way to contact you directly, through the Internet
or by phone, fax or mail. And always respond promptly to customer-service
inquiries. It's just as easy for customers to order from another
provider, so don't give them a reason to go elswhere.
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