Feb 12

Marketing Your Business on the Web
Sun Review Feb. 12, 2000

When you market your business online, your website is the face to your products and services, accessible to a world-wide audience of more than 250 million people. The first and most critical step in online marketing is building the best website you can afford to build. Whether that means hiring a professional webdesign/marketing firm or creating your own site, here are some important points to consider when creating an effective web presence for your business.

One of your primary considerations should be your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your website? Is your site aimed at other businesses or the general public? Would your customers benefit from accessing your products or services online, and even purchasing online? Do you want to expand your customer base, or can you offer your existing customers support and service 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, even when your office is closed? New or potential customers may be located around the globe or in your local area. You should anticipate what questions your site visitors might ask, and include this information when writing copy for your website.

Your website should be more than just an online version of your brochure or business card. You now have an unprecedented opportunity to showcase your products and services with full-colour photos, even animation, video and audio clips, and encourage customers to communicate with you online. And if you are wondering what all this might cost, consider that a medium-sized ad in the Yellow Pages (which reaches a local audience) will probably cost you more every month than your website.

Maybe you're already convinced that your business needs a website. What steps should you take to get started? Here's the webdesign process in a nutshell: domain name registration, website hosting, website design, promotion, and updating & maintenance.

1. Domain Name, or Website Address Registration:
Decide on a website address for your business. Something catchy, something easy to spell, something easy to say on the phone. A .com address will cost you an additional $70US for the first 2 years, while a .bc.ca or .ca address is currently free to register (but some rules and restrictions apply). You should enlist the help of your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or webhosting service in registering your chosen domain name.

2. Website Hosting:
You'll need to park (or host) your website on a webserver, a specialized computer with a high speed connection to the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can host your website anywhere in the world, but consider this: Can you get telephone support if anything goes wrong? Do you have access to all the services you need for your website? Other questions to ask include how much webspace will you get to store your website, how much traffic are you allowed per month, does it include e-mail accounts, and will you get access to website statistics on a weekly or monthly basis? Monthly webhosting fees range from $35 to $100 per month (depending on the needs of your site), and don't always include webstats.

3. Website Design:
You wouldn't hire someone to build your house if you didn't know what type of work they did. The same rules apply when choosing a webdesigner: Check out examples of their work, maybe even talk to their existing clients, and get a written estimate. Website design costs vary with the complexity of your website: number of pages, graphics, multimedia components, and custom programming, if required.

Regardless of who builds your website, make sure your website is easy to navigate and quick to download. No one wants to wait for more than 15 seconds for a webpage to load, and if your visitors have to click more than 4 times to access the information they need, you've probably lost them. Collect feedback from site visitors via online forms, website statistics, cookies and more.

4. Promotion
Once you've built your website, people must be able to find it in that vast maze we call the Internet. Promoting or submitting your website to search engines is critically important. If you're not sure how to do this effectively, consult your webdesigner, ISP, or contact a professional website promoter.

Your website statistics will help you fine-tune your promotion plan. You can find out how many people accessed your site, where they're from, which pages they viewed, which websites are referring visitors to your site, and much more.

You may also consider tactics such as contests, special events, discounts, free offers, e-mail newsletters, and banner exchanges. Advertise on other websites (like industry-related index pages, or directories) that will draw your customers to your website. And don't forget to incorporate your website into your traditional marketing campaign, on business cards, letterhead, brochures, and Yellow Pages ads.

5. Updating & Maintenance
Update your website frequently, and make sure all links work. Keeping your website updated and maintained on a regular basis can help draw more visitors to your site. Ensure that you or your staff will be available to answer online inquiries or e-mail.

The more informed you are about the website design process, the more productive your relationship with your webdesigner, ISP or marketing firm will be. Remember that your website is your portal to the world, so put your best face on!