Business Websites

We have designed many websites and have seen the mistakes that continue to plague business websites.

The most common mistake is to rely on technology. The belief that 'cutting edge' technology with slick graphics, sophisticated animation and 'in your face' copy will sell the product. And of course it won't. Both small businesses and big corporations are guilty of this.

What your Visitor wants Know NOW!

Your visitor is at your website to make a decision - to buy or not. And, you are charging him his time for the privilege. For him to make that decision, he needs to know five things:

1. Who are you?
2. What do you do?
3. Where do you do it?
4. What can I do on this website?
5. How much is it going to cost me (if relevant)?

. . . and the quicker he knows that, the more inclined he is to do business with you. Forget marketing hype, mission statement, vision, the company organogram, employee of the year.

We've spent the last twenty years worrying about the 'T' in 'IT'. We should spend the next twenty years worrying about the 'I'.

CONTENT, Content, content . . .

It's the 'I' that sells your product. Site owners don't realize that a hugely intricate website does not impress visitors, only raise suspicions that something is being hidden.

It's not razzle dazzle that sells products but persuasive content. In our experience, it's such content that is given the least regard during the design phase. Whilst clients have an abiding interest in the graphics and appearance of their website, they give us old company brochures for the content.

It simply doesn't work. The few thousand pixels that comprise the area of your website are worth millions of rands - make every pixel count!

The content of your website - whether one page or one thousand - is designed to do just one thing . . .

. . Get your unknown visitor to contact you.

Two clichés here: Keep it Simple Stupid and Content is King. Ignoring them will cost you.

Establish Trust with your Website Visitor or Perish!

Trust absolutely has to be established for your website to be a success. You don't want visitors to think that your business runs out of a backyard garage.

To establish trust, a variety of factors have to coincide:

• Decide on your audience and talk to it
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Are you looking for business from the man in the street (avoid jargon), the trade, old folk (large text), young people (bright colours)? A combination?

• Cut out the hype and stick to basics
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Write your copy then edit to half its original size.

Then cut that by half and you'll have the right size.

• Cut out jargon/acronyms
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Cater to the lowest common denominator. Those who know won't mind.

Those who don't will get confused.

• Spend time preparing your content
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Absolutely. Get it wrong - no matter what you spend on your website and it will fail.

• Keep your tone informal
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You're not writing an insurance policy! Use the first person, take your visitor into your confidence, talk to him as if he was across the table.

• Make every page a 'call to action'
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Don't just let them sit there! Get them to do something. Buy Now! Go here! Try this! Contact Us!

• Show visitors that you know what you're doing
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No-one deals with a perceived amateur, but NEVER talk down to your unknown visitor. Let them know in the most understated way that you are knowledgable about your subject.

• No gratuitous graphics
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Always ask yourself - 'Is this graphic/piece of text an asset to this page?'. If it's not, then ditch it - and be ruthless. White space with nothing on is more useful.

• Make sure graphics are of good quality
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Unless it is a gallery/product page, keep the graphics to a minimum. Never use substandard graphics.

• Put yourself in the position of your visitor
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ABSOLUTELY the number one job. Step away from your business. Kick the store blindness.



• Keep the pages fast
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Visitors are getting increasingly impatient. You have 6 seconds for the page to download and 6 seconds to get your message across once the page has downloaded. In these 12 seconds you will either make or lose a client.

• Let friends test the site
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You may not like what they say but their opinions will be invaluable.

• Ensure the navigation is easy to use
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Does it make sense? Do the menu buttons match the appropriate page title? Does the link change colour once it has been visited?

• Ask yourself - 'Am I getting my message across on the first page?' - the first paragraph even?