Site Last Updated 05/16/2012
The Press Room
Business Website Design
October 23, 2009
With the number of people using the Internet to research businesses or buy products online increasing with each passing day, it is important that a business puts about as much thought into the design of their website as they do for their mission statement. What a potential customer thinks about the site of a business they're looking at, can make or break a sale. A business website's goal is to attract and retain customers, regardless of whether their site informs customers about a product or allows customers to purchase the product right then and there.
With the number of people using the Internet to research businesses or buy products online increasing with each passing day, it is important that a business puts about as much thought into the design of their website as they do for their mission statement. What a potential customer thinks about the site of a business they're looking at, can make or break a sale. A business website's goal is to attract and retain customers, regardless of whether their site informs customers about a product or allows customers to purchase the product right then and there. With that in mind, there are a number of specific qualities that must be taken into consideration.
Taking a business online allows for a number of things. A business's presence in the online world allows for them to reach past their physical location; a business that goes online may receive inquiries from all over the world as opposed to a business that receives only local inquiries due to their lack of online presence. A business that goes online allows for customers to search and receive information from them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A business has about five minutes before a potential customer decides whether to leave or stay. One of the first things that Internet surfers look at is whether the site they are on is easy to navigate. If they can't find what they're looking for or information to point them in the right direction, they'll click out and chances are, they won't return. The main links a business should have within their site are: FAQ, Contact Us, About Us and Product Information. These four sections are pretty much self-explanatory.
Readability is another thing businesses should keep in mind when designing their site. A site that has their information in bulleted style is more likely to retain a site visitor than a business site that requires visitors to read what seems like essay upon essay!
Customers looking to buy products online usually know exactly what they're looking for and will do so to avoid searching for a parking spot in the mall parking lot and be allowed the comfort of shopping without leaving their home. For the most part, these customers are going to want to be in and out of a site within ten to fifteen minutes. This means, that a business wants to make it easy for the customer. The easier it is for a customer to add items to their cart and checkout, the more likely they are going to purchase again and the more likely that they are going to recommend the site to family and friends. A happy customer means a happy business!
Adding the online element to a business can be an easy transition if done properly. The best way to go, would be to hire a graphic designer. Tell them what the goal of the business's website is and let them go from there. Your area of expertise is business, their area of expertise is designing websites for businesses. As long as you know what the site needs to include, you can't go wrong!
TESTIMONIALS
Aamco Transmissions
I am writing to thank you for your service and assistance in saving my business. I was absolutely impressed with the professionalism you displayed was as pain free as possible for me More...
Minor Family Auto
Merchant Advisors was extremely easy to work with and our representative stayed in constant contact with us through the entire application process. More...
