CREATING AN ONLINE PRESENCE: BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WEBSITE
India has over 81 million Internet users1 and over 1.9 billion2 Internet users exist worldwide. Being present in this ever-expanding digital world, starts with having an Internet presence via your website.
An important first step however, to doing business on the Internet is selecting and registering a domain name that helps boost your company’s visibility on the Web. A .com domain name offers you one of the best options as it helps provide instant recognition, visibility and credibility for your brand online. A .com is appropriate for businesses of all sizes and it is currently the most widely used domain name extension around the world.3
Once you have your domain name registered and have selected a hosting provider, it is time to build an effective business website. When building a website, there are certain basics to remember that will help you move in the right direction. Let us examine each of these basics.
Appearance: A website should be visually appealing and professional. A website will reflect your company’s identity. These guidelines could help –
- A good color scheme will contain 2 or 3 primary colors. Don't overdo the color, as it can distract from the written content.
- Graphics are important, as they lend visual appeal. The graphics selected should add meaning or context to your written content. Don’t overload any one page with more than 3 or 4 images.
- By using high-quality photographs you can help increase visual appeal in a simple way.
- It is best to keep the design simple and allow for adequate white space. Uncluttered layouts allow viewers to focus on your message.
Content is king: Content on your website should be informative and relevant to your audience. The main reason people visit a company’s website is to seek information or buy its products or services, so the information on your website should help them to accomplish those goals. It is also important to revisit your website regularly to update content and keep it fresh.
Clear website navigation: Navigation is the roadmap of your website. Visitors to your website need to know three essential things: where they are, where they can go, and how they can get back to where they came from. Remember, visitors to your website are in a hurry -- don't make them hunt for information or keep them guessing as to where they need to go next.
Use options such as Flash and animation on your website conservatively. Yes, the website needs to be visually appealing, but it also needs to be user-friendly and too many features can get in the way of your website’s performance. Make sure the site takes no longer than 15-20 seconds to download on a dial-up connection.
Interactive: Build in feedback forms and other means of communication where your customers can interact with you in order to share feedback or make a request.
Regardless of business type or size, having a good business website can help communicate a professional image and strengthens relationships with customers and prospects. By following these simple guidelines, you can be headed in the right direction.
Welcome to the Internet world!
1 www.internetstats.com, June 30, 2010
2 www.internetworldstats.com, June 30, 2010
3 During the fourth quarter of 2010, the overall base of .com and .net domain names grew to reach a combined total of 105.2 million names, according to the Verisign Domain Name Industry Brief (Volume 8, Issue 1, February 2011)