Promotion...If you have never had a web site, it is hard to know what it
should be like. Start small and simple. Don’t try to do to
much to quickly. Build a web presence. Then add to it as your
needs require. Design it to work with your business needs
in mind.
Pick a monthly payment you can afford to maintain. Don’t
have a site with large up front costs if you can avoid it.
(Large Store or Shopping Carts may be an exception.) The point
is, your site may change often so plan and budget for it.
Promote it!!! This is the most important thing you can do
to make your site work! Put your web site address (URL) and
e-mail address on your business cards, brochures, newspaper ads,
newsletters, yellow page ads, building signs, correspondence,
and on bills, In other words: Everything!! In the past, most
people communicated with your business in person, by mail or by
telephone. The next generation of customers will also want to
use your web site and e-mail.
Don’t expect miracles from Search Engines. Most key word
searches come up with thousands of "hits’. They work well
when someone remembers ‘something’ about your company or
product and then searches for it. Most sites don’t get many
hits from random searches.
Give people a reason to check your web site on a regular
basis. Here are some possibilities.
 | List your office or store hours and telephone numbers
there.
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 | Keep a ‘specials’ page. What is on sale this month?
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 | Keep a Catalog of your Products and/or Services if
practical.
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 | Provide information of value to your customers. (Example:
A garden shop might provide information about the latest
insects pests and how to treat them, along with a link to
this month’s sales page).
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 | Provide a Frequently Asked Questions page about your
product or service. (Example: If you sell homemade lawn
furniture, then how do you clean it. Can the customer paint
or stain it.) When you sell a product or service, what are
the usual follow-up calls about? Try to answer these
questions on your web site.
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 | Have an e-mail version of a periodic newsletter. Allow the
customer to request it. Don’t send unsolicited e-mail
advertising(Spam). |