NFIB

How to Make the Most of Your Web Site
04/ 15/ 2002


CNN's Financial Network states that more than half of all small businesses use the internet in some way, and that more than two-million have a web site. According to information recently reported by the International Data Corporation, the approximate 25-percent of small companies with their own home page or Web site will grow to 70-percent within three years. Companies are using the internet to do research on customers, competitors and the general market. Most companies are using the internet to improve service and extend their marketing, but e-commerce is still in the early stages of development.

Designing a home page for your business web site is an important task. Many software programs and free downloads offer instructions on "how to . . ." construct a home page, but may be deceptively simple. There is an art and a degree of expertise required to turn out this modern merchandising tool. Help is available through commercial firms or, possibly, through the freelance assistance of talented students from a local college.

Whether the home page is designed to provide information or to solicit direct sales, the image of your company is subtly imprinted on the potential customer's mind each time they enter the site. Cartoon characters and animation may catch the eye and lodge in the memory of the visitor, but fail to create a professional image that will inspire customer confidence. On the other hand, bland printed messages may create little interest in your products or services.

Regardless of the design, colors, music or other attributes your home page offers to a visitor, there are some fundamental elements that must always be present on a reputable site. The first four things a visitor should see are:

1. A description of the site,

2. The purpose of the site,

3. What the contents are, and

4. Disclaimers or Assurances.

Other important features of a good home page are:

1. Ease of navigation,

2. Fast downloads,

3. Secure sites when data are requested,

4. Hyperlinks to related information, and

5. A direct e-mail option for questions or orders.

Visitors should be made aware of "cookies" and whether any information about them will be made available to other web sites or companies. Never try to lure visitors to your home page through the use of "spam" mail or misleading hyperlinks on other sites. The integrity of your home page will transfer to your company's reputation.

Keep in mind that the information highway is progressing rapidly. You want to make sure that the road leads customers to your business instead of to your competitor.

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