Is anyone else considering a new website or redesign of their existing website? I am in the midst of it and it's not nearly as easy as I had anticipated. I "thought" I knew exactly what I wanted. But when it comes down to decision time, I'm fearful of making a mistake. Here are a few things I feel I must have in a website:
Simple – I want a good, clean look. I don't want the visitor overwhelmed or confused. Information needs to be easy to find.
Join the conversation – The website must continue the online conversation that might have been started via Twitter or Facebook. With the social media trends, I want the transition from social to business to be smooth. I want a more conversational tone in the website copy. It's about Trust.
Focus on Services – My existing site has 100+ pages mostly of printing products. A focus on products means a focus on selling. I want the new focus to be on BENEFITS and what we can DO for you, not what we hope to SELL you.
Blog included – What started out in January 2009 as an experiment in blogging has become a necessity. It's mandatory for optimal SEO to have my blog incorporated into the new website. As it is now, they are two separate sites and the reader must connect the dots back to Advantage Printing.
Self managed – While I'm pretty good at basic web tasks, I cannot completely self manage my existing site. I want it as easy to manage as a blog with the ability to add PDFs for download and more video capabilities.
Social icons – Just like nutritional minimum daily requirements (MDR), having easy linking to social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Flickr are minimum requirements for a website.
More Video – Mentioned elsewhere, video does many things: it humanizes, it entertains and statistics show it works.
Email list – Email marketing is NOT dead. I hope to find better ways to connect and build my email list to reach out periodically.
Cheap – Maybe cheap isn't the real word I'm looking for, but my current website is expensive. For a small business, I can't keep paying what I do for a website that doesn't do what I need it to do. That just won't do. J A new website built on something like a Wordpress platform IS cheap compared to what I'm paying now.
What do you think are the minimum requirements of a "modern" website?
Here are some links you'll enjoy written by some very bright people:
Three Things Your Website Needs - Blog | New Marketing Labs
Five Ways to Ruin Your Website - Econsultancy
Ten Common Website Mistakes and How To Fix Them - Hubspot
David A Moore is a cross-media marketing junkie fueled by Mountain Dew. His habit is supported at Advantage Printing, a commercial print and marketing service provider serving churches, nonprofits and small businesses.
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidamoore
Any web design surrey firm, which has worked with different clients in many geographical locations will always have a lot of approaches to your website.
Posted by: Web Design Guildford | September 08, 2010 at 02:45 AM
Cannot say enough positive things about simple design. People understand simple and simple works.
Posted by: ecommerce design | September 28, 2010 at 04:52 PM
Simplicity is always a better option for me and all the over the readers.
Posted by: Website Templates | May 26, 2011 at 04:55 AM