Web Wise: You've given birth to your new Web site, now what?
You've made it through the first quarter of the year birthing your new Web site and, just like when you brought home your new baby, you've looked at it and thought, "now what do I do?"
Much like the first year of parenthood, owning and managing your new Web site can potentially be bewildering and frustrating for a lot of people. How do you get to the point of knowing that it's all working and actually helping your business grow? Do you have to wait until it's 18 years old to measure how successful you've reared your baby?
Don't wait that long. This week we'll cover three basic components that will help you measure whether or not your Web site is working for you. We'll also review some tips on how to improve the things that aren't working so your business can succeed online.
Measure the clarity of your message: Be clear on your message and know who you're trying to communicate your message to. This is Basic Marketing 101 but so important when it comes to the Internet, an ever-evolving medium that's mostly information-driven rather than entertainment-driven, like television is. How do you know if you're clearly communicating your message? Simple: ask people. Put together a focus group and ask simple questions like: "What is it you're being asked to do at this Web site?" and "How do you go about doing it?" Their observations will help you fine-tune your Web site to be more user-friendly.
How do you define who your target audience is? That's easy if you remember that you may have more than one type of customer, who each needs something different from your Web site. You can please all of them by providing different pathways to get what they want. Write down descriptions of the types of people who'll come to your site and list how they each hunt for information. One person might like to use a search box and search your Web site by keyword or category. Another person might like to explore your site through text links until she's traveled all the trails, which should ultimately lead her to purchase your product or contact you for your service. A third type of visitor is more visual and will click on graphics that call to her or him. In your Web site, you can easily provide ways for all three types of visitors to get what they came for.
Search Engine Optimization: Once you've clarified your message, defined your target audience and given your visitors easy ways to get what they need, you'll want to make sure you've optimized your Web site so that the Search Engines can find your Web site and list it high up. Location, location, location. Getting a good virtual location in the Search Engines (page 1, 2 or 3 of the listings) is vital to your online business. Consult with a professional about Search Engine Optimization if you don't have time to continually educate yourself about this in-depth subject.
Web site statistics: Let's say you've succeeded birthing a competent Web site: you've "raised" your Web site to be smart, good-looking and work hard to help your visitors and convert them into customers….now how do you keep improving your site and how do you keep getting those people to return and buy again? You can keep bugging your focus group but there's one other resource that will help you: your Web site traffic statistics. Your hosting company should have a good Web site traffic report panel that you can access and gather reports from. Besides the number of visitors and pages viewed (not "hits"), you'll want to review bounce pages (a visitor lands on one page and leaves your site without exploring any other pages); length of time spent at your site; keyword phrases they used and found your site with; referral sites; browser platforms and some other important information that will help you continually improve the clarity of your message and help your Web site grow up to be the best it can be.
Use these tips and you'll greatly increase your chance of succeeding online. By the time you're ready to re-design your site or give birth to another site, you'll be an experienced Web parent who knows how to raise a happy and successful Web site.
Lori Gama-White owns DaGama Web Studio in Greeley, Colorado. Developing strategic, results-oriented Web sites since 1997, Lori Gama-White and her team of Web professionals are passionate about helping people get their businesses on to the Internet. For more information, questions or comments, call 970-378-7822 or e-mail .
© 2005 Lori Gama-White - All Rights Reserved -
http://www.dagamawebstudio.com
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