What a Small Business Website Should Do for You
June 10, 2008
I’m short on time with six sites going live in June, but I simply had to share an article I just found on Business Week about the good, bad, and the ugly concerning small business websites.
Whether you are looking to contract Rainmaker for your next small business website or somebody else article by Steve McKee should be required reading.
Read “Make Your Web Site Work for You”
Here are some highlights:
Even in the age of technology there’s nothing more powerful than a first impression, and your Web site increasingly is your introduction. I used to counsel startup companies not to underestimate the need for a professionally designed logo. I stand by that advice, but now I extend it to their Web presence as well. You simply can’t afford to look anything less than first-rate online.
The Flash introduction is a little cheesy, but it does seem to capture the personality of the company. What it doesn’t do is communicate anything about what Health Barn is or does. That’s a big missed opportunity, especially given the short amount of time parents can spare.
Revat, which describes itself on its site as “the leading self-defense program for adults living in an urban environment,” appears to be off to a good start, but it’s missing the drama. The fear of being accosted is powerful, yet the Web site doesn’t capitalize on that. Imagine how compelling a mini-movie dramatizing Revat training would be to its prospective customers.
June 12th, 2008 at 5:04 am
Hello! Your blog has been chosen at random to be featured on the weekly OBS Bloggers Spotlight column. If you have time to answer a few questions for me I would really appreciate it - I did contact you through your contact form and have tried to watch my spam folder for your reply but if it came into there I’ve missed it. If you could contact me I would really appreciate it. If now isn’t a good time for you let me know and I’ll choose someone else and put your name back on the list. If you send me an email please drop a comment on my blog so that I will know to look for it.
This article states exactly why I haven’t started a website for my business yet - I feel that it is better to not have a website than to have a bad website. And since I’m overwhelmed with work right now anyway - not having a website isn’t hurting me too much yet!
Thanks!
July 10th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Yes first impression indeed matters a lot. If the visitors do not get what they expect from a website, they won’t ever come back to check it again.