worldofgraphics.com

ARTICLE 1
What you should know about your website

Most businesses nowadays have found that the World Wide Web is a terrific advertising medium. What many of them don't know, is that it can also have a very negative impact on their business.

At worldofgraphics, we too surf the net for information when thinking of purchasing products or services, just like your clients would. It is amazing how often we run into sites that are absolutley horrible in the way they represent their respective businesses. What's really sad, is that the owners of these sites are not aware of the negative impact this has on their bottom line. In the text below, you'll find a few things you should know about your website in order to avoid losing potential customers.

1) Give me decent content
At least explain what it is you do or sell. Your customer is looking for information, not just an address and phone number. If you offer a product, explain the features and benefits. Don't send your customer to the manufacturer's website where there's a good chance they'll end up being redirected to your competitors. If you offer a service, tell your visitor what it is all about. Websites are not limited to small spaces like newspaper advertising or radio where time limitations put severe restrictions on content. Take advantage of the space.

2) Make a good impression
Flashy graphics, animations and poor design distract from the message you're trying to convey. Your website represents your business! Be aware that visitors may not agree with your taste in visual design. While it will cost you a bit more, hire a good designer that will at least make your business look professional.

3) Guide me through the site
Your customer is looking for information. If it is hard to find, your customer will go elsewhere and you lose a sale. Good navigation is the key! Whether it is links through a menu or links embedded in content, make sure that it is easy for the visitor to navigate the pages. Avoid multiple drop-down menus where people with an unsteady hand or not adept at using a mouse would only get frustrated and (you guessed it) leave!

4) Don't make me change
Just because you use Microsoft Windows with Internet Explorer and have a 19" monitor doesn't mean that I do. Just because you've installed Macromedia Flash, Real Media Player and Shockwave does not mean I will do the same. When you design a website, or get one designed for you, make sure that it is compatible with my computer and everyone else's for that matter. We see a ton of problems associated with incompatible programming. From links not working, text being covered up, elements in the wrong place, to not being able to see the website at all. No, we're not going to change or install another plugin, we're going somewhere else.

5) Keep me up-to-date
OK, I've been there, got the T-shirt, now give me a reason to come back. If your site does not change or at least gets updated on a regular basis, then there's no reason for visitors to return. One of the best ways to make your website work for you is to keep it updated with news, specials, announcements or anything to keep the content fresh. It iwill also make a difference in your Search Engine rankings.

6) No, we're not high on speed!
Unfortunately, your customers in rural areas don't get all the services that are available in towns and cities. Many good clients are stuck with dail-up connections that are often too slow even for simple email files. Even those with fast connections are often frustrated when large graphics or bloated Flash animations make them wait. Think of it this way, if your customers wanted to see animated commercials, they would simply turn on the TV. Even if only 5 percent of your potential customers don't have high speed internet access, that's still a loss of sales (never mind adding that to the lost sales because of the items listed above).

7) Please answer my question
Many websites provide either an email address or a fill-in form to allow the visitor to establish contact with the business owner or sales department. The problem here is that these emails often do not get answered or the reply comes way too late. If you're going to provide this service, the least you can do is make it work for you and your client.

8) Search Engine Blues
Getting to the top of the search engine list is almost like winning the lottery. While you will encounter many who claim they can get you to the top, it is simply a claim and not reality. If it were possible, we'd all be at the top and there simply is not enough room there! However, if you've hired a good web designer, there are many things that can be programmed into the code and content of the site that will help your site get a better ranking. There's not enough room to explain the details of engine rankings, scams and other tidbits in this article, but perhaps some other time. Just be aware that proper coding of your site will help to better the ranking.

9) SPAM is not a source of good food
If you display you email address, you are bait for 'Spam Robots' and you leave yourself wide open for receiving a ton of unwanted emails. Even if you or your service provider has good anti-spam software installed, your website becomes part of a serious, world wide problem that bogs down the Internet. Spam email accounts for over 40% of all emails! That's 12.4 Billion emails a day! In 2002, in the US alone,it cost business 8.9 Billion Dollars in lost revenue. There are many ways for you to avoid exposing your email address. Simply put, hire an experienced website designer that knows how to avoid someone stealing your info.

The bottom line
We all want to save money, but there's a big difference in wasting ten dollars and spending twenty! An experienced web designer needs to understand your needs, internet marketing, graphic design and several programming languages to make a successful website. Good web designers don't come cheap, but can save and earn you money in the long run. A good web designer can make your website work for you instead of against you. Using the Internet as an advertising media is a whole lot less expensive than using conventional media and can be very effective if it is done right.

That's a lot of information in just one sitting. So we won't even go into any of the technical details that can make your site stable, a lot easier to maintain, a lot quicker to load and even custom programming to let you update the content yourself. We just wanted you to be aware of some important ingredients that are often overlooked by even the most expensive websites.



Home page About us Contact us Website Design Graphic Arts	ARTICLE 1 What you should know about your website Most businesses nowadays have found that the World Wide Web is a terrific advertising medium. What many of them don't know, is that it can also have a very negative impact on their business. At worldofgraphics, we too surf the net for information when thinking of purchasing products or services, just like your clients would. It is amazing how often we run into sites that are absolutley horrible in the way they represent their respective businesses. What's really sad, is that the owners of these sites are not aware of the negative impact this has on their bottom line. In the text below, you'll find a few things you should know about your website in order to avoid losing potential customers. 1) Give me decent content At least explain what it is you do or sell. Your customer is looking for information, not just an address and phone number. If you offer a product, explain the features and benefits. Don't send your customer to the manufacturer's website where there's a good chance they'll end up being redirected to your competitors. If you offer a service, tell your visitor what it is all about. Websites are not limited to small spaces like newspaper advertising or radio where time limitations put severe restrictions on content. Take advantage of the space. 2) Make a good impression Flashy graphics, animations and poor design distract from the message you're trying to convey. Your website represents your business! Be aware that visitors may not agree with your taste in visual design. While it will cost you a bit more, hire a good designer that will at least make your business look professional. 3) Guide me through the site Your customer is looking for information. If it is hard to find, your customer will go elsewhere and you lose a sale. Good navigation is the key! Whether it is links through a menu or links embedded in content, make sure that it is easy for the visitor to navigate the pages. Avoid multiple drop-down menus where people with an unsteady hand or not adept at using a mouse would only get frustrated and (you guessed it) leave! 4) Don't make me change Just because you use Microsoft Windows with Internet Explorer and have a 19" monitor doesn't mean that I do. Just because you've installed Macromedia Flash, Real Media Player and Shockwave does not mean I will do the same. When you design a website, or get one designed for you, make sure that it is compatible with my computer and everyone else's for that matter. We see a ton of problems associated with incompatible programming. From links not working, text being covered up, elements in the wrong place, to not being able to see the website at all. No, we're not going to change or install another plugin, we're going somewhere else. 5) Keep me up-to-date OK, I've been there, got the T-shirt, now give me a reason to come back. If your site does not change or at least gets updated on a regular basis, then there's no reason for visitors to return. One of the best ways to make your website work for you is to keep it updated with news, specials, announcements or anything to keep the content fresh. It iwill also make a difference in your Search Engine rankings. 6) No, we're not high on speed! Unfortunately, your customers in rural areas don't get all the services that are available in towns and cities. Many good clients are stuck with dail-up connections that are often too slow even for simple email files. Even those with fast connections are often frustrated when large graphics or bloated Flash animations make them wait. Think of it this way, if your customers wanted to see animated commercials, they would simply turn on the TV. Even if only 5 percent of your potential customers don't have high speed internet access, that's still a loss of sales (never mind adding that to the lost sales because of the items listed above). 7) Please answer my question Many websites provide either an email address or a fill-in form to allow the visitor to establish contact with the business owner or sales department. The problem here is that these emails often do not get answered or the reply comes way too late. If you're going to provide this service, the least you can do is make it work for you and your client. 8) Search Engine Blues Getting to the top of the search engine list is almost like winning the lottery. While you will encounter many who claim they can get you to the top, it is simply a claim and not reality. If it were possible, we'd all be at the top and there simply is not enough room there! However, if you've hired a good web designer, there are many things that can be programmed into the code and content of the site that will help your site get a better ranking. There's not enough room to explain the details of engine rankings, scams and other tidbits in this article, but perhaps some other time. Just be aware that proper coding of your site will help to better the ranking. 9) SPAM is not a source of good food If you display you email address, you are bait for 'Spam Robots' and you leave yourself wide open for receiving a ton of unwanted emails. Even if you or your service provider has good anti-spam software installed, your website becomes part of a serious, world wide problem that bogs down the Internet. Spam email accounts for over 40% of all emails! That's 12.4 Billion emails a day! In 2002, in the US alone,it cost business 8.9 Billion Dollars in lost revenue. There are many ways for you to avoid exposing your email address. Simply put, hire an experienced website designer that knows how to avoid someone stealing your info. The bottom line We all want to save money, but there's a big difference in wasting ten dollars and spending twenty! An experienced web designer needs to understand your needs, internet marketing, graphic design and several programming languages to make a successful website. Good web designers don't come cheap, but can save and earn you money in the long run. A good web designer can make your website work for you instead of against you. Using the Internet as an advertising media is a whole lot less expensive than using conventional media and can be very effective if it is done right. That's a lot of information in just one sitting. So we won't even go into any of the technical details that can make your site stable, a lot easier to maintain, a lot quicker to load and even custom programming to let you update the content yourself. We just wanted you to be aware of some important ingredients that are often overlooked by even the most expensive websites.

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