Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Is your Web site DOA?
posted by Seun Olubodun 
It doesn't have to be, according to StartUpNation, which shares nine tips for bringing new, successful Web sites to life, and reviving old ones.
Effective Web site development is a problem faced by many small biz owners. It happened all the time with my own clients at Element Web Solutions. Many of them really didn't grasp the Internet or its capabilities. They thought slapping together a site and throwing it online would have thousands of visitors knocking down their doors within the hour.
I, of course, preached otherwise with one consistent message: Simply building the Web site is the smallest part of what a business can do to harness the power of the Internet, and grow their business.
It's a gospel I still believe today, which is why I was so jazzed by StartUpNation's pointers, particularly:
Do your research. See what's happening online within your industry. You will see what the competition is doing, be inspired with fresh ideas, and better position yourself to stand out. Also, gathering information from experts and peer groups is beneficial for any business owner daunted by online development.
Involve others. Nobody benefits from a static Web site, least of all your business.
Seek and respond to feedback from your customers. Take advantage of Web. 2.0 tools that are now available to facilitate building a social network.
If you sell it in a store, sell it online. E-commerce is the icing on any merchant's cake. In olden times, you relied on brick-and-mortar storefronts and local support. But now you can offer your goods to the world with a simple shopping cart and payment system.
Check out the whole list, and try out a few steps if your site is in need of CPR. Then write back to us, and let us know how the resuscitation went. We hope you get well soon!
Effective Web site development is a problem faced by many small biz owners. It happened all the time with my own clients at Element Web Solutions. Many of them really didn't grasp the Internet or its capabilities. They thought slapping together a site and throwing it online would have thousands of visitors knocking down their doors within the hour.
I, of course, preached otherwise with one consistent message: Simply building the Web site is the smallest part of what a business can do to harness the power of the Internet, and grow their business.
It's a gospel I still believe today, which is why I was so jazzed by StartUpNation's pointers, particularly:
Do your research. See what's happening online within your industry. You will see what the competition is doing, be inspired with fresh ideas, and better position yourself to stand out. Also, gathering information from experts and peer groups is beneficial for any business owner daunted by online development.
Involve others. Nobody benefits from a static Web site, least of all your business.
Seek and respond to feedback from your customers. Take advantage of Web. 2.0 tools that are now available to facilitate building a social network.
If you sell it in a store, sell it online. E-commerce is the icing on any merchant's cake. In olden times, you relied on brick-and-mortar storefronts and local support. But now you can offer your goods to the world with a simple shopping cart and payment system.
Check out the whole list, and try out a few steps if your site is in need of CPR. Then write back to us, and let us know how the resuscitation went. We hope you get well soon!
Labels: Small business, StartUpNation, Web development, Web site
