Here’s a handywoman’s guide to getting your voice heard on the Net
Do you suffer from that most dreaded of syndromes, NWD (Nonexistent Web site Disorder)?
There’s no reason for you to continue to suffer. Take charge of your Internet life and create your public face!
Embarking on a journey to design your own Web site sounds a lot scarier than it is. You will receive the most benefit from your Web site if you are organized — whether you choose to pay for someone to design your site or you plan to do it yourself.
Think about your potential Web site.
Take some time to ask yourself the following questions: What is the purpose of the site? Are you making it for a hobby, or other personal use? Do you want to make money from it? Do you intend to have paying customers? Who do you want to attract to your site? How will they be led to your site? Once there, what do you expect them to do?
The next step is to consider the size of the project. To clearly manage this, you’ll want to create a flowchart. This logical hierarchy will address how information will be accessed. At the top will be the main page, the navigation buttons will come next, and so on until all of the site’s links are represented. This helps to give you a clear picture of what you are dealing with.
Since you’ll know exactly how many pages you want, if you choose to outsource the project, it will be easier to price out.
Once you’ve determined the flow of your site, you will want to address a few more questions: Where is the content coming from? Who will provide the graphics? How often will the site need to be updated? What deadlines need to be met?
Next, create a folder on your computer where you can collect information for your site. Subfolders named after each navigation button housed in the master Web site folder work great. When you find images, content, links, etc., save them to the appropriate folder. This will make it easier for whomever designs the site.
If you choose to pay someone to do the work, you will most certainly save time and money by having done the initial legwork.
“To design a successful Web site, you need to establish what the goals are for your site,” said Pam Stromecki of Tall Girls Design in Orchard Park. “From there, develop content so that it meets the goals and is compelling and easy for the user to read and navigate through.”
“The visual design should follow already-established corporate branding or can establish the look for other marketing materials,” she said. “The combination of solid graphics, ease of use and good information will entice any user to stay in your site or return often.”
Designing Web pages
Are you considering hiring someone to create your site?
Granted, you might enjoy learning a new skill, or perhaps you’re already computer savvy. But a professional Web designer has the skills, online marketing experience and know-how to create a Web site that will be an effective selling tool.
She or he already knows the ins and outs, what works and what won’t. Still, whichever route you go, be organized.
“First, you must consider [your Web site] to be just one component in your communications toolbox,” said Sherry Sutton, president and art director of Sassy Design Group, on the importance of design.
“Second, you must understand that what your customer/client sees — and how that translates in their brain — becomes their perception of who you are.
“A successful Web site incorporates good functionality and usability, combined with a user experience that is appropriate to your audience, meets your business goals and hopefully exceeds the level of your competitors,” Sutton said.
“I like to remind people [that] with any marketing tools, you have to be consistent and ‘walk the talk.’ So, create the best perception possible and keep it simple and keep it relevant.”
Obtaining content
You’re probably wondering where or how you’ll gather content for your site. Start by searching the Internet for Web sites similar to what you want. Looking at how they organized their content, particularly if the site has good ranking with search engines, will help you with your site.
Developing effective content requires some planning. Breaking down the content into smaller parts helps to provide visitors with an easy, logical and quick visit.
When writing your content, always remember the KISS factor — “Keep It Simple, Stupid” — and create short, concise paragraphs, clear menus and logical easy-to-use headings.
Finally, try to avoid long pages, make sure to keep all the information on the visible screen.
Writing great copy
It’s essential that the written part of your Web site — the copy — be nothing short of terrific. Meaning, it should be professional in every way.
Copy should look clean in both appearance and readability. At the same time, it should feel personal, as if you are speaking directly to the reader naturally yet professionally.
The site should be free of both grammatical and spelling errors. People notice those errors and immediately pass judgment on the value of your site.
Content should be updated often. Don’t forget that search engines use your content to determine where you are placed in a search, so your Web content truly makes or breaks your site.
If you feel that you are not a strong writer, you can find someone who is. Even if you pay for a writer, your money will be well spent.
Getting site noticed
A huge part of Web design is search engine readiness. Search engine promotion does not start after the Web site is complete; it starts at the design stage.
“The most disturbing issue that you are likely to face with regard to your new Web site is that, when all the dust has settled, it just cannot generate sufficient [return of investment] to fit your expectations or your business needs,” said Theresa Winder, president of 1stFlash.com, a division of UK Software Services.
If you have identified this problem, the failure most likely stems back to the very beginning of your Web site design and development process — where the architecture and structure was set around the wrong content.
“We have found that, to be [successful], your Web site must be exactly focused on attending to the proven needs of your target market,” Winder said.
It’s essential to submit your site to the search engines, especially Google. To do so, you can find the Google submission page on the Google Web site under “About Google.”
From there, locate the “Submit your content to Google.”
Keep in mind that if there aren’t any other links to your site on the Web, then submitting your site to Google alone is a useless effort because Google will likely not index your site and show results that include your pages.
If on the other hand, there are many other links to your site, such as through other search engines, then Google will likely find your site on its own.
So, to sum up: Stay organized. KISS. And above all, take action NOW. You don’t have to suffer in silence from NWD any longer. Get your Web site built and make your voice heard!
Renee Russo Martinez is a freelance marketing/ communications consultant. She lives in Williamsville.
On the Net Web site designers: Sassy Design Group www. sassydesigngroup.com
1stFlash.com www.1stflash.com
Tall Girls Design www.tallgirlsdesign.com
