article: how to get the best web design for your money

By Charlene McMillan - BrightWay Marketing

Designing or Re-designing a website is a great opportunity to wipe the slate clean and create a powerful selling tool for your company. This article details what you need to know in order to get the best web design for your money AND a site that will generate leads for your business.

1. Know what you want people to do on the site. Write down your 3 main goals and everything you can think of that people will do on the site. For example, learn about the company, sign up for a newsletter, call to request a quote. Now you have a basis for your website design.

2. Structure is everything. This is also called information architecture and it’s about structuring your website navigation and pages so as to support your stated objectives. Structure is also important for search engine optimization. Making the names of the products you sell part of the navigation scheme makes it easier for people to find your site when they are looking for that specific product. For example, in addition to your main navigation bar, which might say “Home, About Us, Products, Services, and Contact” you could add a sub-navigation area to specify your products in more detail and make it part of every page. A good example of this is the Team Facilities website at http://www.teamfacilitiesinc.com. This site was deliberately structured to showcase each individual service they offer. So if someone is searching for ‘janitorial service’ they are more likely to be found. A good web site design makes it easy for your user to find the information you want them to find and easy for them to take the action you want them to take. You want people to see at a glance what you do, right from the home page. You don’t want to rely on them to click into your site to find out because many people won’t. When you look at the Team Facilities home page, you know right away what they do, who they serve and that they are well qualified to do so. That’s good information design.

3. Reinforce your brand. What is your brand? In a nutshell, your brand is the perceived promise to your customers. Your website should support and reinforce this promise – visually and via content. For example, if you do amazing landscaping, your website design would be rich with photos of the great work you do, which in turn reinforces the promise that if your visitor hires you, they will also experience great landscaping. Reinforcing your brand is especially important if what you sell costs lots of money. If you website looks unprofessional or low budget in any way, this will contradict your brand promise and will create a very different brand perception that will likely result in lost business.

4. Content is king… and design is the queen. Good design is certainly important but it takes a back seat to high quality content. Why? Search engines love content and your prospects want to learn about you. This helps them feel comfortable taking your desired action. A good web design is never restrictive and provides plenty of space for you to add supporting information; info people need to know in order to feel comfortable taking your desired action. A flashy design means nothing if people don’t take action and contact you. Be careful of a web design that doesn’t print well or restricts the links and info you can add to your pages. It is surprising how often I see this…a website that looks great, but doesn’t give me the info I need to make a decision to contact the company. Or pages that don’t print well. I call this design for design’s sake and not for business sake. There is a big difference and even some high priced agencies are guilty of this.

5. Position your expertise. Speaking of content, what stories, articles, credentials or awards could you include that would position your expertise? People buy from people they feel would best meet their needs. Share stories and information freely and position your firm as an expert. Experts get paid!

6. Make your difference clear. This is probably the biggest mistake businesses make in their marketing materials; website, brochures, or ads. You must clearly articulate how your business/programs/approach is different from your competitors in order to give your prospects a reason to pick you.

7. Show proof. One of the biggest questions in the mind’s of your prospects is ‘how do I know it works?’ or ‘what results can I expect?’ Showing proof of what you deliver in the form of photos, customer stories, data collected, client testimonials, etc. will make your prospect feel more comfortable that they too will get the desired result from doing business with you.

8. Include a call to action. (or several of them) and put them on every page. Research has shown that people are twice as likely to act when an offer is presented to them multiple times. So what was it you wanted people to do on your site? Sign up for your newsletter? Request a quote? Call you? Put these offers on every page and improve your chances of collecting a new lead.

9. Include the information people need to make a decision to act. This is a biggie…HUGE. How many times have you been on a website, ready to buy, but something was missing? Some question was left unanswered and you didn’t proceed. The 'bright way' to design a website is to answer all the questions and address as many sales objections as possible, right up front, putting links and the info they need right on the page - at their fingertips. What do people need to know in order to take your desired action? For example, if you want them to request a quote you would need to show them what you do, establish your credentials, showcase client work, include proof (testimonials, results or data), tell them how you work, what is expected from them, and how to contact you. If it’s just a click away, they will be more likely to act.

10. Reduce the risk of taking action. Guarantees, 1st time discounts, or a great return policy all can reduce the perceived risk of a prospect doing business with you. Creating products that allow people to sample your services are also a great way to reduce risk. These might include white papers, workshops, webinars, or a free or low-cost consultation…all of these ‘products’ allow prospects to sample your wares relatively inexpensively and risk-free. What could you offer that would make it easy for people to engage? Answer this one and you will make it easy for prospects to become customers.

11. Hire a pro. I know this sounds self-serving but it really does pay to hire a professional. Furthermore, you want a business professional, who is well versed in sales and knows how to structure a virtual selling environment on the web. This will increase the likelihood of getting new leads and the leads will be people already predisposed to doing business with you. Remember: 79% of all people looking for a product or service start their search on the web. This is not the place to skimp. If you want your website to be an effective selling tool for you - more than a static brochure – then invest in a professional to create your online brand. Stay away from the ‘do-it-yourself’ templates offered by GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Intuit or others. These templates just don’t look professional and unless you are a good marketer and writer, your website copy may also be lacking. I’ve gained several new clients who attempted to use these tools first and found out that the result just wasn't acceptable to them.

contact BrightWay for more information on how you can create a winning new website.