Oval Solutions Articles

Posts Tagged ‘Website’

What Makes an Effective Website?

August 3rd, 2009

A website is one of the most affordable ways to communicate with the public; whether you want to use it as a marketing tool or simply to provide information. However, a poorly designed website will limit its impact, so it is a good investment to get the best web website built that you can afford.

When considering the design of your website, focus on ease of use. Many people today are familiar with the Internet, but your website should still be intuitive. This aspect is especially important for people who may want to purchase something from your website. They want to be able to find what they are looking for quickly, and they want the ordering process to be simple. Make it difficult, and they may well take their business elsewhere. Zona Research estimates that around $25 billion of potential profit is lost every year due to poor website usability.

Studies have shown that if users have to follow more than three hyperlinks, they start to lose interest. If you have a large site, adding search functionality may be a well-received feature. Your webpage should also load quickly; if it takes over ten seconds then users become impatient. This means keeping pictures and graphics to a minimum and ensuring that they are small and compact. If you do need large pictures, then put them at the bottom so that visitors can read the text while the pictures are loading. Ensure that your website is compatible with as many browsers as possible. The two major Internet browsers are FireFox and Internet Explorer. Here at Oval Solutions, every website we build is compatible with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Chrome.  The most common screen resolution is 1024 x 728.  Using a different screen resolution could mean that part of your website is not visible to the user. You also need to be aware that some technologies can mean that search engines will not be able to view your website. For example, links embedded in some Javascript code may not be crawled by search engines.

Colors are also important because on the Internet you are communicating with users visually. Companies that have official colors should use the same ones on their website for consistency. For text, you should choose colors that are easy on the eye. Colors can also have cultural and emotional significance. A web designer will be able to help you decide on a suitable color scheme.

Good web content is vital. All words and visuals should be of good quality. You want to communicate the right messages and ideas to your visitors so that you attract your target market to your website. Having good, up-to-date information on your website also gives a good impression and visitors will feel more confident if they think that you know about your market or industry. For example, a bike store that is able to give expert advice on various aspects of cycling will inspire confidence in buyers.

You will be able to tell how well your website is fulfilling its function by how users interact with it. Do they read the text and watch any videos, or do they simply take one look and then leave? Do visitors to your website ask for information, click on links, or make a purchase?  All of these questions can be answered by the free analytics package included in every website we build.  Contact us today for free information at (517) 902-7851.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Website Related | 3 Comments »

Why Every Business Needs a Website

June 4th, 2009

There are many reasons why any business should have a website which include:

Convenience – these days access to the Internet and familiarity with its use is commonplace. Every day over 20 million people search the Internet to find products, compare prices and find information. Using the Internet to find information or to shop is faster and easier than ever before.

Exposure – you can advertise your business in the local phone book or newspaper, but the Internet can give you access to a much wider audience. You will no longer be tied to a geographic location, but be able to offer your services or products nationwide or even internationally. The National Retail Association forecasts that in 2009 the value of retail sales over the Internet will reach $204 billion dollars, whilst the rest of the retail industry is expecting slow growth. This represents a 17 percent increase on the previous year. America has 220,000,000 Internet users and in 2008 global spending over the Internet was $6.8 trillion, 15 percent of the global GDP.

Information – you can provide much more information via a website than you can in a phone book or even a brochure. TV/radio advertisements are limited by the amount of time that you can afford to purchase, but with a website there are no time restrictions.

Cost – a website is an inexpensive and effective form of advertising. Customers can browse through the information on your website at their own pace. In 2008 $65 billion was spent globally on Internet advertising. Printing and posting fliers, brochures, newsletters and other mail costs money. Internet advertising is more cost effective as it is a better way of reaching your target market. A website is a one-time cost other than the nominal hosting fee.

Branding – a well-designed website will become an extension of your brand. It becomes part of the experience of doing business with you and a good professional online image will set you apart from the competition.

Availability – your website can be available 24 hours a day, so if customers want to search for information or place an order outside of normal shopping hours, they can. You will always be open for business.

Time – a well-designed website will provide customers with information about your company, services or products, meaning that you don’t have to spend so much time answering questions on the phone.

Measurable results – with a website you are able to track the number of visitors to your site and also record how they found out about your company. The number of inquiries and the number of sales can be recorded. The ratio of inquiries to visitors is known as the conversion rate and you can use this information to improve the ratio and increase your sales.

Testing new ideas – a website is one of the quickest ways of publishing new ideas. Trying out new content can be done within a matter of minutes and at no cost. This allows you to try out new advertising material before committing to a costly print campaign.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Website Related | 5 Comments »