Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts for your online business

You want to have a website to promote your business, but you’re not sure what is important for your site. It depends on your type of business and the purpose of your website. As an entrepreneur you need to have an idea of what you want to accomplish with it. Remember that it is your business and your website, so a webdesigner can’t decide that for you but he or she will need your input. Below are our top 5 Do’s and Don’ts for your online business to get you started.

TOP 5 DO’S

1. Set up a website to grow your business.

See your website as an online brochure or customer service department for your business. If you also want to sell products or services online, you can expand your site with a webshop.

2. Hire a professional to create your website.

Why? Because doing it yourself can be very time-consuming and it will take your attention away from your business and your customers. You may even end up spending a lot more than anticipated in case you didn’t create your site right and still have to hire a professional.

3. Choose a .com domain name that is descriptive and easy to remember.

A .com domain name is more professional for a business than for example  a .net domain. Use short and descriptive names to make it easier for people to remember like thepetdoctor.com. It will take some creativity, but besides using your friends or family as a soundboard, you can use tools on the internet to find your perfect domain name. You can also check your domain name when you buy your domain and hosting right here.

4. Update your content regularly to give visitors a reason to return.

Fresh and valuable content on your website, will make people want to come back for more to check out what’s new. As a result your business will remain visible to them.

5. Build a relationship with your visitors and customers by encouraging feedback.

Direct communication with your customers and visitors is the best way to find out what they like or need. But you have to follow up (build a relationship) with replies and/or to provide the solution they’re looking for, otherwise that fountain of information will dry up soon. To help you build a relationship with your visitors and customers we have created a tutorial which teaches you how to start a mailing list. Go to our tutorial page for a download.

TOP 5 DON’TS

1. Don’t scare visitors and customers off with an unprofessional website.

Why would they want to do business with you if your site looks like it was created by your 12-year old nephew or has a 90s look? These days you have less than 20 seconds in the online world to generate enough interest for people to want to browse your site! So you better make that big impression.

2. Do not slow down your site with too many or large graphics.

Unless you have a photography or fashion business, get rid of those gigantic graphics files that only hog up memory on the visitor’s computer and your server. Reduce and format the images for the web, or simply use less. Ever heard of “Less is More?” Flash applications can also delay your site’s download, so be careful with what you put on your site. Remember that you have less than 20 seconds to impress your audience or they’ll be gone.

3. Don’t make your visitors struggle through the navigation of your site.

Too many menu buttons in illogical places, will make your visitor feel totally lost and leave in frustration. Use the traditional navigation rules that most people are familiar with and give them one less thing to think about.

4. Don’t make people hunt for your contact information.

There are many websites that don’t have their contact information or button in an easy to find location. Besides your company image, the Contact button should be one of the first things to be spotted right away. To make it even easier for your visitors you should have an online contact form so they don’t have to open an email application first to send you a message.

5. Do not leave outdated content on your site.

If you don’t update your site visitors may wonder if your business is still active. Blogging is a way to let them know that your business is very well alive!

 

Now that you know our top 5 Do’s and Don’ts for your online business and are ready for your website, go to ADF International and let us help you create an affordable website to promote your business.

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