Maximising Your Web Impact
- 1. Maximising Your Web Impact Independents Day 2009 Jamie Forster
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- 4. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names So, what is a domain name? • It’s the address that people type into an internet browser to find a web page • There are many types to choose from – ie .co.uk, .com, .me.uk • Which to choose, .com or .co.uk? • Ideally both, but the better sole option is the .co.uk Why do I need a domain name? • Acts as the ‘street address’ to allow visitors to find the site • Without a domain name, you cannot have a website or ‘branded’ email
- 5. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names What does a domain name say about my company? • Professionalism • Your business card wouldn’t say you were from a different company would it? ‘Unbranded’ email is promoting someone else’s business! • It defines what people think of you as a company Domain names are very easy and cheap to buy Ensure that the domain name is registered to you or your company
- 6. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names www.nominet.org.uk
- 7. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names F f
- 8. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names What does a domain name say about my company? • Professionalism • Your business card wouldn’t say you were from a different company would it? ‘Unbranded’ email is promoting someone else’s business! • It defines what people think of you as a company Word of caution…. • How easy is your domain name to remember? • How easy is your domain name to type? Domain names are very easy and cheap to buy Ensure that the domain name is registered to you or your company
- 9. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names
- 10. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names www.whorepresents.com Who Represents
- 11. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names www.expertsexchange.com Experts Exchange
- 12. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names www.penisland.net Pen Island
- 13. Maximising Your Web Impact Domain Names www.powergenitalia.com Powergen Italia
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- 15. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites Why would my company need one? • The internet never sleeps • Acts as a sales and marketing team • Websites are no longer optional extras but an absolute necessity • Print media can be expensive and perhaps only monthly – website is ‘on’ 24/7 and unlike print, can be changed relatively easily • People are more likely to use search engines to find products and services rather than services such as Yellow Pages • If you aren’t being found, your competitors are • Study shows 86% of consumers research a company online before choosing to use them
- 16. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites 3 main types of website Static Websites CMS Websites eCommerce Websites
- 17. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites Static Website • Simple site, ideal for informational/brochure websites • No easy way for owner to update themselves • Doesn’t mean that look and feel are compromised
- 18. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites CMS Website • CMS stands for ‘content managed system’ • Ability for site owner to update and maintain the site • Relatively easy interface called a WYSIWYG, similar to a word processor • Hosted offerings usual affordable but limited in form and function, limit future upgrade options • Bespoke CMS will be more expensive, but worth it • Scalable – ample girth to grow into • Added functionality
- 19. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites A common WYSIWYG, similar to a word processor F F F
- 20. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites eCommerce Website • Any website that is selling products or services online • 2 parts to any eCommerce solution 1. The shop where visitors browse and make their purchase 2. The card transaction itself • Can be achieved cheaply (Static site + PayPal for instance) • Better to make use of a proper eCommerce cart system
- 21. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites 3 important aspects of any website 1. Perception 2. Navigation 3. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
- 22. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites 3 important aspects of any website 1. Perception • Do they like the site or not? • First impressions REALLY do matter • Helps create trust • Could ultimately be the deciding factor to buy or not
- 23. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites 3 important aspects of any website 1. Perception 2. Navigation • The way visitors move around a website • Easiest way to lose visitors • Needs to be • consistent • easy to follow and understand • appealing • as few clicks as possible to get from A to B
- 24. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites 3 important aspects of any website 1. Perception 2. Navigation 3. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) • Key to a websites visibility to the search engines • Don’t need to spend vast amounts to achieve results • Website without SEO is like a car without wheels • The basics don’t guarantee traffic, but without them guaranteed not to get traffic • ‘Friendly URL’s (uniform resource locator or web address) http://www.motley.co.uk/default.asp?page=3§id=788 or http://www.motley.co.uk/contact.php
- 25. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites
- 26. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites A few other aspects to help • Make sure your site is kept up to date and fresh • Speed of download • Make sure you have certain pages • Make sure you comply with relevant legislation
- 27. Maximising Your Web Impact Websites Got a reason not to have a website? • I wouldn’t know where to start • It’s going to cost me far too much to get a website • It could, but doesn’t have to • Can you afford NOT to have a website? • Test the water • Website cost is one off, better value than print • My business doesn’t need to be online • EVERY business needs a website • If you’re not online, you are losing business
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- 29. Maximising Your Web Impact eMarketing Does anyone know your site is there? Have you told anyone about it? How are you going to attract visitors? • Free marketing and advertising • Press releases to local papers and magazines • Remember to let them know your latest news • Get backlinks – websites that link back to your site • Write articles on your topic and get them published online • Record video and post to YouTube • Start a blog
- 30. Maximising Your Web Impact eMarketing Other methods to get noticed www.linkedin.com www.ecademy.com www.twitter.com www.facebook.com www.myspace.com
- 31. Maximising Your Web Impact Make sure you are measuring traffic to your site • “50% of marketing works, we just don’t know which 50% “ • It’s the only way you will know if your site is attracting visitors • Measuring can show you • How many people visit • How visitors have found you (search terms) • Which search engine they used to find you • What browser they are using • And much much more • Google Analytics is free eMarketing
- 32. Maximising Your Web Impact eMarketing
- 33. Maximising Your Web Impact Google AdWords • Create and run ads quickly and simply • Only pay for click throughs to your site • Set your own budget what you want to spend each day, week or even month • Once you hit your limit, your ad stops being displayed • Great way to attract visitors from day 1 • Wider reach than just Google eMarketing
- 34. Maximising Your Web Impact eMarketing
- 35. Maximising Your Web Impact Email Marketing • Effective way of keeping in touch with customers • Email capture form on your website • Special offer – Call to Actions Software • Manages your subscriber list and Opt Outs • Sending of emails is automated & with no limits eMarketing
- 36. Maximising Your Web Impact Aweber 2 main services • Email Newsletters • Follow up Autoresponders Email Newsletters • Manages your subscriber list and Opt Outs • Send them manually, anytime you want to • Simple to personalise every message eMarketing
- 37. Maximising Your Web Impact Aweber Follow up Autoresponders • Series of pre-written emails • You choose time and date gaps between each one • Simple to personalise every message eMarketing
- 38. Maximising Your Web Impact In Summary
- 39. Maximising Your Web Impact Jamie Forster Thank you for your attention