You may not realize it, but in today’s high-tech world, the strength of your Web site is vital to your company’s integrity. When someone decides they want to learn more about your company, one of the first places they will look is the Internet. If you have a Web site that is attractive, easy to use, easy to find and has a lot of pertinent information, you will impress potential customers and possibly even members of the media.
“Your home page design should feature the most requested information and serve as a top-level directory to access the primary sections of your Web site. This will be the only page visitors see unless they can easily find what they are looking for with little or no scrolling. Clear content organization will help make this process easier,” says Jason Kocina, President of Checkerboard Strategic Web Development (www.checkerboard.com), a firm that specializes in creating Web sites that play an active role in its clients’ business plans.
It’s only been 10 years since the Internet became part of our lives. At the time, no one knew what to expect from this new technology and at first it was a virtual free-for-all. Some business Web sites were as lifeless and unimaginative as business cards. Other sites were so far-fetched creatively that they simply confused their visitors. Thankfully, a few talented pioneers saw and seized the Internet’s potential.
Today, companies are now looking at their Web sites as extensions of their sales force and integral parts of their business plans. Because the public has grown so comfortable with shopping for information online, even small businesses understand that it is time to go back and build their sites the right way.
“If you want people to stay on your Web site longer and explore more than just their initial interest, it’s important that information is organized in a way that it makes sense to a user,” says Kocina.
According to Kocina, he said that the top five important qualities of a Web site are:
- Updated frequently.
- Ease of use.
- High-quality content.
- Respond to questions submitted within 24 hours.
- Quick to download.
