Website tips that make a difference

Tip 1:  Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough.
Keep your content accessible whether a web guru/pro is viewing it or maybe just your grandma who just doesn't understand all the hype about "this internet thing the kids are into".  Are your images clear representations of your points?  Do your headlines and taglines make sense?  Does your verbiage state clearly the information pertaining to what the page is about?  These are things to critic and critic again.  It's time to be hard on yourself, don't worry, this phase is usually the best value later on.

Tip 2:  What was the title of that book again?
Think about it.  You remember books by the title.  Have you ever said "yeah, remember that book that stated 'blah blah blah' on page 318 in paragraph 3?"  If you asked me that you might get a puzzled look before I giggle and run away like a shy school girl.  Your page titles on your website are just as important as the rest of the content.  Page titles offer clear descriptions of what the content on that page is about to represent.  Page titles also offer the headlines that people see when they favorite or bookmark your site so make sure that you're to the point when you decide on one.

Tip 3:  Don't be cheap because it shows, money talks, even very low dollar amounts!
You need to get a designer then get a great developer or get someone who offers both. Hey! SmallWorld offers that (wink wink!)  Too often do I see people entrap themselves in the GoDaddy Website Tonight package where they have no idea how to build a site or the tools lack the need-to functionality that a great website demands.  Now before I get replies from people telling me how awesome GoDaddy is, yes I know.  They are a cheap web host.  The truth is there ARE great CMS services out there that offer a template system with create as many pages as you'd like attitude.  You have to ask yourself though what's worse, paying a little more for your product or paying a lower price for a product that doesn't do what you thought it would?  Think about it, my job is to question you and have you question yourself so that can make more sound decisions on the topic.  What is a CMS?  Content Management System, 'nuff said.  Let me be clear though that a CMS does not apply to all websites, consider your needs up front and be honest with yourself.  Are you going to update your site every day and do not know site markup?  Then a CMS should be preferred, if not then a standard site without a CMS will save you some of that upfront investment we discussed earlier.

Tip 4:  Be excited.  Passion is reflected one way or another, and you got the right one babe-eh uh-huh.
If you're not excited about your website endeavor then how do you think others will look at it?  Be passionate about your business, your clients and your overall look and feel on the internet.  A website in addition to being a salesman that never sleeps is also the front man (or woman for you female readers =) ) for your company on the internet.  There's a yee-old saying that if you're excited about an idea, think about it a couple of weeks later, if by that point you're not still excited about it then that's pretty much the attention span that your idea will offer.  Here today, gone tomorrow.

Tip 5: Be a leader, not a dud.
Although it's true I often get the phrase "I don't really have time for something like that." Well the good news my friend is that there's companies out there that will manage your website for you, evenSmallWorld Communications offers this service.If you can't do it yourself then you can team up with somebody who can help empower your website and your business.

Tip 6:  The internet is alive! 
Just like in life there are no guarantees, somebody cannot guarantee you site traffic regardless of what they advertise to you.  The most any company can do for you is build your site using stable technologies and good practices like using CSS3, div tags, and table tags only when necessary.  Helping you provide clear page descriptions and writing up your content within correct markup tags.  

It's a campaign and some things will be more effective than others, because the internet truly is alive it is changing all the time, what does this mean for you? The things that may have worked yesterday do not guarantee effectiveness today.  As the internet and website community evolves, practices and methods evolve with it, so stay strapped in and don't lose hope.  The good news is things will typically work out, but be open minded that there really are no guarantees and if you have to change your strategy then do so, and keep doing so until you have different results, trial and error really is the best way to move forward.

Tip 7:  Who are you talking to like that?
You have to decide up front whom you are targeting beause doing so will allow you to deicde whether your site speech needs to be in layman or technical terms.  If you're targeting joe schmoe from up the street who doesn't know anything about plumbing and you're trying to talk to him about why winterizing his cottage pipes is a good idea, consider what he will and will not understand.  If you don't know anything about the internet or websites and I start throwing technical terms and acronyms at you like ROI and PPC, URL, Anchor tags, Meta Descriptions, etc. you might nodd your head and smile but the truth is you'll be totally lost and nobody wants to admit that you've left them behind in the conversation.  If you want to make an impression then you have to consider your audience, that's fact.

Tip 8:  All that mumbo jumbo and still no sale, that whole discussion was irrelevant.
Be relevant.  I really don't know how to explain it any better.  If you're selling a plumbing service or painting service talk about what the benefits of hiring your company are, show a portfolio of previous work because the truth is that pictures really are worth 1,000 words...and then some!  If you're selling a painting service and offering me $100.00 off that's great but uh....what does your work look like?  How reliable is your team?  What do I get that justifies both the price and my hiring you over somebody else?  If  you're just throwing up coupons and sales talk but don't be open and honest with your clients then you're making your own bed.  People today are smarter, and they want facts and figures, pros and cons, benefits and warnings of what could potentially go wrong.  In short, they want to be in the know.  It's your job to provide that to them.

Tip 9:  Offer incentives to motivate people who are on the fence.
Imagine the last time you thought to yourself "man, I could really use a new vacuum or television." then you see an ad that offers you a discount for "x" amount of time only.  Because you know you've needed it or even wanted it the advertising company has just given you an incentive to buy, incentives are good for gaining interest, keeping interest, staying relevant with the economy and times and finally impulse buys!  Somebody who wanted your product or service but was hesitant about buying it because of the cost can now feel good about their purchase because they feel like got something for it, to be put simply they feel like they took you!  There's nothing wrong with that, in the end you both benefit