| Raise your hand if you have a website for your small | | | | tool for your business. The right system will help you |
| business. Now keep it raised if it is generating a | | | | maximize communications within the company, on the |
| significant volume of prospects or sales. Not holding | | | | road and with your customers. |
| your hand up anymore? You are not alone. | | | | 4) Social Media - Social media such as blogging, |
| Just a few years ago, small companies flocked to the | | | | Podcasting and other web 2.0 tools can greatly |
| web in droves, rushing to post their first website, | | | | enhance customer communications. Your web |
| anxious at the prospect of low-cost instant exposure. | | | | services company should be able to help you |
| The web was going to be the great equalizer, putting | | | | evaluate how social media tools can best benefit |
| small business on par with the big brand names, | | | | your web presence and business objects. |
| dangling the promise of visitors flocking to a | | | | 5) Small Business Website Hosting Services - All web |
| company's site to purchase its wares or partake in its | | | | hosting is NOT created equal. There are many |
| services. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, for most small | | | | nuances and technical consideration involved with |
| businesses and organizations, the promise fell short | | | | hosting solutions. It is best to stay away from |
| and company sales did not skyrocket from an | | | | budget hosting companies. Look for a managed |
| unending march of site visitors. | | | | hosting provider who can help you select the right |
| So, what happened? For one, the web quickly | | | | plan for your web solution goals, get your website up |
| became ultra competitive. Millions of sites sprang up in | | | | and running and support you as it grows and evolves. |
| every business category making it virtually impossible | | | | 6) Website Maintenance - How will your site be |
| to be found in the search engines. What little bit of | | | | maintained and updated? Having both small business |
| traffic the businesses may have enjoyed when the | | | | web development and managed web site hosting as |
| site was first launched began to dry up. Also, as the | | | | a package is immensely helpful for maximizing web |
| web evolved to become a more interactive user | | | | server resources, identifying problems and keeping |
| experience, it became more technologically complex | | | | the site maintained and updated. |
| and many small business websites did not keep up. | | | | 7) E-Commerce - Will you be actually selling on your |
| The other part of the problem was in the approach; | | | | site or using it for lead generation or information |
| not understanding that just putting together a | | | | dissemination? If you are selling products, who will |
| website, even a pretty one, and finding some | | | | create and maintain your product database. How will |
| faceless company offering cheap web hosting | | | | transactions be handled? What about web server |
| services is not likely to make you the next great | | | | requirements? Working with a professional can help |
| success story. | | | | ensure you make the right choices for your |
| A large hurdle that many small business owners and | | | | e-commerce site. |
| managers face is the tendency to compartmentalize | | | | 8) Business Process Interaction (database |
| the web into a few oversimplified tasks: grab a | | | | development, customer relationship management, |
| cheap domain name, find a budget small business | | | | integration with your business management systems) |
| website design and development person, look for | | | | - A website needs to be more than just an ad on |
| some impossibly low-priced website hosting, and then | | | | the Internet to be effective as a business tool. |
| expect their website to magically appear on page | | | | There are many ways the web can be used to |
| one of Google. Unfortunately, this ends up being a | | | | improve your business processes and integrate with |
| waste of time and money. | | | | your existing systems such as accounting or contact |
| A Solutions-Based Approach with Professional | | | | management. |
| Guidance | | | | 9) Website Marketing - How will people find you on |
| To create an effective web presence requires a | | | | the web? Will you optimize your site for organic |
| solutions-based approach with clear ideas about what | | | | search or employ paid marketing techniques or a |
| you want to accomplish and who the audience is you | | | | combination? What directories should you list your |
| are targeting. The right elements have to be present; | | | | site in? Search engine marketing has evolved to be a |
| a well orchestrated website design with cohesive | | | | complex specialty. It's critical that you understand the |
| branding, solid technical acumen, clearly defined | | | | tools available for driving traffic to your site and if |
| objectives for the organization, reliable small business | | | | needed, know how to evaluate and engage a web |
| web hosting services and some method of marketing | | | | marketing specialist. |
| your site and tracking the results. The web is | | | | 10) Website Analytics and Conversion - Having a |
| constantly evolving and search engine competition is | | | | great site isn't enough if your visitors aren't doing |
| fierce. Being successful on the web requires | | | | what you intended; buying something, contacting |
| consistently evaluating the site's effectiveness based | | | | your company or using your site for an information |
| on your objectives, understanding the latest | | | | source. Does your site have usability issues? What |
| technologies and trends, having a dynamic website | | | | kind of reporting will you use to track site visitors? |
| marketing plan and constantly fine tuning. | | | | What do you need to know and do to convert your |
| While you don't have to spend a fortune to create | | | | visitors into action-takers? |
| real value on the web, you should also be realistic. | | | | It's a Process and a Work in Progress |
| Understand that being successful will require an | | | | While there is certainly a lot to think about, creating |
| investment that you should plan for and a clear vision | | | | the best possible website solution for your business |
| of how your website fits into the goals and | | | | doesn't have to be overwhelming. Your website can |
| objectives of the organization. If you don't have the | | | | and should be a work in progress, evolving as your |
| experience and technical resources in-house, working | | | | business grows. Because most small businesses do |
| with a professional web solutions provider, preferably | | | | not have an internal IT staff to handle the technical |
| one specializing in small business web design and | | | | elements of web development and planning, working |
| development can provide great benefits. A good | | | | with a web solutions provider that specializes in small |
| starting point in the process is to have an | | | | business website hosting services and small business |
| understanding of the core elements that are part of | | | | web design and development is a good start. Such an |
| a successful website strategy and how they fit | | | | organization can help you identify your goals, manage |
| together. | | | | the technical aspects of your site and guide you in |
| The Elements of a Web Solution | | | | your marketing efforts. They can also help you work |
| 1) Domain names - Choosing the right domain name is | | | | within your budget to develop a plan that combines |
| an important branding decision which impacts how | | | | all the elements into a cohesive whole for creating |
| your organization is perceived and also how it is | | | | and maintaining a successful web presence. |
| found in the search engines. Purchasing from a cheap | | | | Conclusion |
| bulk registrar or choosing can spell trouble. | | | | The web has grown up to be a terrific marketing |
| 2) Website Design & Development Services - Find a | | | | medium for small businesses and organizations. Done |
| provider that specializes in small business web design | | | | right, it can be the most cost effective and powerful |
| and development. An organization that offers a | | | | marketing and communication tool in your arsenal. |
| solutions-based approach can assist your company in | | | | The promise is still there. However, to truly leverage |
| doing thorough needs analysis and in designing all of | | | | the power of the web, it is important to take a |
| the elements to work well together. First impressions | | | | good, hard look at the website you currently have or |
| count! | | | | the one you are thinking about creating. |
| 3) E-mail Management - E-mail is a key communication | | | | |