Next steps are: -

1. Refresh the design - nothing too fancy, just clear and clean and lively
2. Plan the site pages properly - most small businesses can be described in 4 or 5 key pages and that’s the initial aim
3. Write good, clear copy for those pages (keeping keywords in mind for the search engines)
4. Clean up the site - and ensure there’s a helpful “404 File not Found” page for anyone who arrives at a page which has moved
5. And we’re ready to move on!

Next is to plan the site main pages more coherently and write the copy for them.

There are times when you realise that your website is not doing all that it could be for you.  I had some feedback with comments on the site:-

• links not working
• header image conveying the wrong message
• page text too, at time 
• some text colour too light (doesn’t offer enough contrast to the background) 

So, it’s time to refresh the site.  Here is what is happening -

1. Refresh the design - nothing too fancy, just clear and clean and lively
2. Plan the site pages properly - most small businesses can be described in 4 or 5 key pages and that’s the initial aim
3. Write good, clear copy for those pages (keeping keywords in mind for the search engines)
4. Clean up the site - and ensure there’s a helpful “404 File not Found” page for anyone who arrives at a page which has moved
5. And we’re ready to move on!

Watch out for changes.

It can encompass many things….

• having a website
• listing your website with local and niche directories, Google Maps,…
• getting your website to the top of Search Engine results pages
• advertising via Search Engines - Google Adwords, Yahoo…
• advertising on other websites - banner ads
• building and maintaining an email address list of clients and interested parties
• keeping in contact with that email database, via email newsletters
• viral marketing - sending out something so good that people forward it on to others
• providing RSS and other “feeds” so that people can monitor new items on your website
• having a regularly updated Blog
• building up a community around your Blog and interacting with it
• making appropriate use of internet Forums
• enhancing your website with audio, video and other technologies
• ensuring your website is available via new technologies, such as mobile devices
• making use of Social Networking sites - MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube….

This list is constantly growing as people find more and more innovative uses for the internet.  And we’re all constantly learning.  But this list will do for now.

Is there anything here which might be worth trying for your business or organisation? 

I suggest you start with one or two ideas which appeal to you yourself - you may be a big fan of Google Maps or YouTube, or maybe you can see the real benefit in a regular email newsletter.  So give those a go to start with.

Then, have a think about your potential clients, or the people you’d really like to be aware of your website or your services.  Who are they?  How are they most likely to spend their time online?  Which of these techniques might reach them most easily; which might they respond to most readily?  It can help to visualise a real person, perhaps two or three different people, and imagine them using their computer (or mobile phone) - what they do regularly, what they look at, how they react.

And, if you need us, we at weblines are happy to advise on or act as your website team to implement any of these e-marketing activities.  We’ll give you regular reports and provide statistics to help measure the value of any e-marketing we undertake on your behalf. 

Where do you start?  What content do you really need for that first website?

There are some standard things that most useful websites have in common.  You’ll probably want to start with at least these web pages:

• Home page
• Services
• About
• Contact
• Links

Home Page

This is the main page which summarises what your web site is about.  It needs to be clear to new visitors who have just stumbled upon your site, yet also useful to visitors who are coming back to see anything new on your site.

Services

I’ve used the term “Services” but this could be “Products”, “Courses”, “Offerings”, indeed it could come under a number of different titles and could easily be several pages, not just one. This page or group of pages is essentially more detail about what you do or what the site if offering.

About

In order to achieve credibility, it is important to clearly state on the website who you are, including some information on background and credentials.

Contact

Absolutely crucial is some means by which interested people can contact you.  This can be a contact form or email address (be careful not to place an email address directly on a web page as this opens you up to endless spam! A contact form is one way of getting around this).  A phone number is also very useful, and a physical address may be essential for a small business looking to increase local customers.

Links

These days linking to other related websites and having them link back to you are essential in order to appear in the search results of the major search engines (such as Google, Yahoo, etc).  You can have a separate links page or links to other sites can appear as a sidebar on various pages of your site, but it is worth considering this from the beginning.

Worth Considering

Other items which are worth considering are:-

• News or blog
• Recommendations or testimonials
• Photo gallery
• Samples or examples
• Database of members or interested people
• Online store

More on those later….

In the meantime, rather than putting it off again, it’s really very easy to get started on that first website.  Just gather up anything you think is important to the look of the website, such as:-

• logo
• company colours or your own colour/look preferences
• photos
• brochures, leaflets other written material you have

Then, if you are technically inclined, you can make a start yourself.  If not, find a friendly neighbourhood website developer and have a chat!

A website can always be changed or added to, much more easily than a brochure from a print run.  So get started and see where it grows to!

• Search engines seem to like it,
• It encourages visitors to keep coming back,
• You can highlight your most current product, service, meeting, workshop, etc.

What’s more, out-of-date content can have a detrimental effect - when visitors see workshops with past dates or content which is no longer current, that can lower their opinion of your website and your business.  It might even discourage them from using your services.

So, great, let’s get that website updated!

But, even if you have the skills to do it, or a great content management system (cms), many people just don’t have the time to do yet another thing for their business or organisation.

In fact, I read recently that, although many people request a cms as part of their new website, as few as 1% actually make regular use of it. 

That’s why weblines offers a Website Management service.  We aim to be the website department you don’t have - for as often or as little as you need us.

Charges are flexible, depending on your needs.   You can pay by any of:- 

• Economical annual rate
• Hourly rate
• Per update as required

Once we have set things up, changes can be made to your website within 24 hours (often less) - just email the latest information, dates or pictures, in any format you are already using, and leave the rest to weblines. 

You wouldn’t do your accounts yourself so why feel obliged to take on the extra work of maintaining your website?  Contact weblines for an obligation-free chat.