• http://vistaprint.com If you have ever needed a few business cards for a special event, but didn’t want to spend a lot of money, then this site will print them for you for free. Yes free. Yes, they do charge about USD8.95 postage, but hey, for 250 cards, where else could you get a cheaper price. Simply go to their site, choose a background style and colour, add your details, and in a couple of weeks, the cards are yours. There are additional charges if you want personal logos or variations.

It seems like only yesterday when people would ask ‘if’ you had an email address. The question has of course changed to ‘what’ is your email address. And whilst some still ask, ‘do’ you have a website, it won’t be long before the standard question becomes ‘what’ is your web address.

Websites haven’t been around all that long, however they have been around long enough to learn from the lessons, many expensive, of others.

In my opinion, the number one problem with many websites is that they have been built from the inside out by computer boffins who have virtually no idea about marketing. Whereas the most successful websites have been built from the outside in by marketing people who understand the website medium.

As an example, I am aware of one winegrower who spent in excess of $50,000 having a website with all the bells and whistles imaginable. The result? Two unique visitors to his website in the first twelve months.

This situation also highlights another fundamental problem with many websites. Little or no time is spent defining the ‘purpose’ of the website. Is it just an electronic brochure? Is it an information service for customers? Is it a viable alternative as a mechanism for your customers to more easily do business with you, or is it simply a case of having a website so as to create the perception that one is keeping up with the play. Whatever the reason, take the time to get real clear as to what its purpose is and design it accordingly.

Some other factors that need to be considered when constructing a website are:

• Spend the money and have it look professional.
• Its design and functionality should be linked to your strategic plan.
• Ensure the homepage downloads in less than ten seconds.
• Keep it simple. Avoid unnecessary photos, graphics and video clips.
• Make it user friendly and easy to navigate.
• All pages to be no more than three clicks away from any other page.
• Use bold clear easily readable fonts.
• Avoid page ‘frames’. These can restrict search engine access.
• Register your own domain name.
• Install an email capture button on the front-page.

The other important factor with websites is that you can have the best website in the world, but if no one knows about it, you may as well have the worst one. Many websites are a bit like your children’s lemonade stand at the front gate. The only people who know about them and visit them are you and the kids, your neighbours, and people who accidentally happen to pass by.

All the various mediums of traditional marketing need to be employed to direct traffic to your website. These include newspaper, magazine, radio and television advertising, roadside billboards, business cards and letterheads, as well as a variety of promotional items emblazoned with your website address on them.

If you don’t already have a website, the time has come for you to invest in one. But like anything else worth doing in business, take the time to research, plan, design and construct what is in the best interest of your customers. After all, it is your customers who will be the primary users of your website.

Until next week, many happy customer returns!

Graham Harvey APS

Watch out for Graham’s new book Seducing the Vigilante Customer – winning strategies to guarantee the return of happy customers and healthy profits, available in all good book stores early in 2002.

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