Calgary Web Design Network Forum

You’ve probably heard the old saying “you get what you pay for” thrown around once or twice in your lifetime right? For whatever reason people seem to believe that their website is the exception to the rule, taking every shortcut imaginable in order to save a quick buck. If there is one area of your marketing that deserves the proper financial attention it’s your website. Try to avoid these common mistakes people make when trying to do things the easy way…

Getting My Friend Or Neighbor To Build My Website: Here we have the most common alternative to hiring a reputable web design company, pretty much guaranteeing that things won’t be done right the first time around. “My friend’s nephew Billy is a computer whiz…and he will only charge you a couple hundred dollars!” Sounds great at first but what Billy doesn’t know is there is a big difference between simply getting your website to work and having it actually DO SOMETHING to help your business. Remember a website is essentially a marketing tool so it’s important to hire someone who can not only build your site but understands the fundamentals of promoting it properly.

Building The Website Yourself: If you are seriously considering this option than this is the one time I’d recommend giving Billy a call instead. Many people fall in love with the “do it yourself option” because it is cheaper and they don’t have to trust their online future to somebody else. Once they get their site up and running they think they’ve saved a lot of money not realizing their new masterpiece may actually be sabotaging their business. Unfortunately most home made websites LOOK homemade and will often portray your company as low budget and unreliable. Remember first impressions are big when it comes to the web so make sure yours isn’t doing more harm than good.

Using A Pre-made Template: It can be tempting to use a template when building your website as they do offer certain advantages. You get to choose the design you want, you know what it will look like in advance, and it is can be up and running within hours. The problem with templates however is they are often generic multi-purpose designs used for all types of businesses, not yours specifically. A good website should give your company it’s own sense of identity and atmosphere, something more likely achieved through the help of a skilled designer. Templates are also search engines headaches as you often have less control over important SEO factors such as what you name your files and images.

Making Your Website An Online Billboard: There are many online services today that will actually pay you to put their banner ads on your website. If someone clicks on one of these ads you in turn receive a commission….sounds great right? Truth be told unless your website is a large scale e-zine or blog that generates large volumes of traffic any profits you make will be minimal at best. All these ads will do is clutter up your web page in an unattractive manner and take focus off the product or service YOU are trying to sell. Make your own business the center of attention, not your paid sponsors.

Using a Free Domain Or Hosting Service: Why pay for a domain name or hosting service when this cool new company you found online is offering one (or both) for free? Simply put any company offering anything “free” has an agenda which is the promote their own business first, even at your expense. Most free hosting services will plaster their company logo and banner ads all over your home page making your site look ugly and more importantly cheap. Your first goal is to establish trust with your audience, something that won’t be accomplished if you come off as an online telemarketer for your hosting service.

Low Brow Or Un-ethical  Search Engine Practices: Since most amateur web builders know very little about search engine optimization but still want high rankings their first instinct is to try and “fool” or “trick” the search engines. They do so by overstuffing their website with keywords, building backdoor or gateway pages, or finding shady online services that will provide them with an endless supply of backlinks. Little do they know that search engines have gotten wise to these tricks a long time ago and will penalize your site accordingly. There is no quick way to the top in Google or Yahoo so don’t go looking for one.

Frequently Submitting Your Website To Search Engines: There is a popular online scam that goes something like this. For a small fee a supposed “expert SEO company” will submit your website to literally thousands of search engines on a regular monthly basis .This leads people to believe that frequent submissions lead to higher rankings, a theory that is far from true. In reality you only need to submit your website once and doing so repeatedly will often hurt your long-term ranking. Shift your focus to constantly updating and optimizing your web pages instead as your rank is determined by the quality of your content, not the number of times you submit.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising: People often shy away from hiring an SEO company due to the often hefty price tag, prompting them to find a more affordable alternative. Many will turn to pay-per-click advertising, a service that lets you advertise on other company’s websites with similar or complimentary subject matter. You only pay a fee when and if someone clicks on one of your ads. Although appealing in theory where your ads appear are often very random and don’t often result in solid leads or sales conversions. PPC advertising can be an effective extension of a properly planned SEO campaign but should never be used as your only source of online advertising.

Most companies today will acknowledge the importance of doing business online and the influential role a website can play in their overall success. What exactly are the advantages of owning a website though and in what ways can having one actually improve your business? When done properly, and professionally, here are a few of the best answers… 

24 Hour Around the Clock Service: A website is available to your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and that includes evenings, weekends, and holidays. People can visit your website at any time to get information or even purchase goods & services online. Having a website makes sure your business is “always open” even when you are closed. 

Easier Access & Convenience: A website offers your customers better flexibility and convenience when dealing with you. Users can inquire about your company on their own timetable, without placing a phone call or driving to your location. Once online your business is always just a click away making communication quick and easy. 

Instant Credibility: A quality website will give your company a strong first impression and “instant credibility” within seconds of viewing it. If you are a small business or working from home a strong web presence becomes even more valuable. A website is often your “first contact” with customers and can make or break you with new clients. 

Constant Advertising: Traditional advertising such as radio, newspaper, and mail-out ads are often quite expensive and only last a couple of weeks if not days. Your website is always there to promote you with no time limit or expiry date, making it one of the best long-term investments for your money. 

Reach a Bigger & Broader Audience: As a business owner your consumer base is often limited to the regions and areas around you. With the World Wide Web you can expand your audience to other cities and even other countries. A website opens up new markets you otherwise wouldn’t have access to, meaning better exposure and greater sales potential. 

Easier to Find & Remember: Typing in a website link is often easier then flipping through the Yellow Pages or fumbling through your wallet for a business card. A website makes it easier for customers to find you and then remember you once they do. The phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” definitely applies with websites. 

Everyone Else Has One: Your parents probably told you this is not a good reason to do anything but a website is an exception. Websites are longer considered a luxury item, they are a standard and recognized way that companies do business. The absence of a website can make your company look dated and out of touch with today’s business scene. 

Have Business Come To You: Many companies need to constantly be approaching new customers or soliciting business on an ongoing basis. A website will help bring customers to you by finding your company in search engines or other online advertisements. If done correctly a website can be one of the best sources of continuous revenue available today.