Have Web Site but still Need Customers? Oh.....

What do I need to do to ensure I get customers on my site and keep them coming back?
The question on everybody's lips is exactly the same topic that was discussed 4-5 years ago when web sites started to get popular just before the dotcom boom and is still the key question that every single web site owner asks and needs  answers for. For every site that gets it right there are a thousand other sites who just do not understand how to deliver an online experience for their business or organisation. Never fear there is a solution and we will start at step one to learn how you can get it right and earn money as well.

Firstly to get started you need to have a web site – you can either build a site yourself or work with a professional to ensure you get the right tools, components and future proofing in order to build a sustainable site. There are many tools available and building a site can be a good experience or a long and tedious one but the difference is who you work with and how well they understand the internet. As with anything in life there are good and bad companies with various prices and degrees of expertise.

As many of you will know Leaping Ahead helped Hey Portugal build this website support is ongoing to ensure they provide fresh and innovative features and information. In partnership with Leaping Ahead, Hey Portugal Magazine offer the Hey Pages Opportunity for those that want a website at a great price with the support and features you need to promote your business. You get 1000 words of text, a some  pictures, a contact box with contact details and a web page template. You supply the information and we do all the work; for professionals who perhaps do not want to invest in a full site at present, Hey Pages is excellent value for money as it includes on line advertising as part of the package and all for less than 100€. Bargain I say.

Over and above the Hey Pages Opportunity there are other opportunities too that will help you decide how to position yourself on the internet sufficiently well. Are you a retailer, or do you offer services in tourism, events, or financial services for example. The design and development of your web site should depend on the type of service or product you offer. For example if you offer bed and breakfast you will need to show great shots of your rooms, facilities, leisure facilities and other added value items like attractions, transport options, flexible pricing and why you are great value for money.

If you are in manufacturing you need to demonstrate product excellence, quality systems, great all-round client support and service and after-sales service. In addition to effectively compete with overseas competitors you will need a multilingual site, client testimonials, online videos and more if you seek to win new business away from your competitors.

As you can see its ‘horses for courses’ - in other words - depending on what you do and how you deliver it will determine the layout and effective use of your web pages. So when you hear colleagues or friends say – oh, I am getting Mike or Pete to build my web site because they will do it quickly and cheaply, beware there is a business health warning attached to this statement. In other words anybody can put a site together but you need someone who can produce the right mix in order to deliver a successfully web site that will work for your business.

Now I am the first to hold up my hands and say that I am biased as part of what we do at Leaping Ahead is web site designing and building. That said we have come at it from another perspective entirely as we approach this with a background in sales, marketing, operations, organisation development, consulting and administration. We understand the guts of what makes a business tick. This allows us to start designing from a completely fresh angle. We don't do sweet pretty sites, although if a client wants it we will design it. We start with the customer in mind, understand who the customer is, develop the ideas and tools to keep the customer coming back and then design and build the website with key business criteria in mind.

So the moral of the story with regard to your web site is never losing touch with the fact that you are designing with the client in mind. This is not about YOU, it’s about the persons who will come to your site. This particular point is hugely difficult to convey to new web site clients who feel that the site must be about what they like and dislike! This could not be further from the truth. There are exceptions, for example, the page could be about a particular individual; perhaps an artist who showcases their philosophy and art. This is entirely personal and reflects the artist view of the world. This is fully understandable.

Go and look at any truly successful site whether it’s a niche, specialist site or a large one. Google is not about Sergei Brin its founder and owner it’s about offering the best on line search tool that pays for itself through offering a compelling advertising package. Amazon is not about Jeff Bezos, it’s about being the one stop internet place for books, CD, films, DVD, appliances etc. with great postage and packaging to match at prices everybody can afford.

Take a good look at what you have on line and honestly ask yourself whether what you have is working or not and if not why not! Do you have your customer in mind or is it just about what’s convenient for you? What is unique about your site? Do you go above and beyond the call of duty to serve your clients? Are you truly passionate and excited about your internet site and what it offers?  All these questions should start to help you think differently about how you design and develop you’re on line shop, portal, window or micro sites.

Next time we will discuss what components and tools a successful site needs to ensure it starts to attract visitors.

John Norton

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www.leaping-ahead.com

John is based in Europe and has helped small, medium and large businesses generate over 150 million euros in new business revenues.