Back in 1995 I wondered how I would make a living once every business had a website. I hadn’t yet fully grasped the real potential of the web. Few people did. Over the years, of course, it has become obvious that websites, like gardens, need tending. Sometimes they need more than tending. They need to be …. well they need to be overhauled, gutted and replaced like a condemned building. There, I’ve said it. So here are my top 8 indicators that its time to overhaul your website. Any one of these should cause you to lose sleep. If more than one is true about your website then …. well you get the idea.
1. Your Website is About as “In Style” as a 1970’s Leisure Suit
Looks aren’t everything. I get it. But you only have 5 seconds to capture your visitors’ attention. If your website is the equivalent of an outdated leisure suit, your visitors will run away screaming and won’t come back. Take a good look at your website. Better yet, have someone you trust who isn’t emotionally invested take a look at it. If it looks like a leisure suit it’s time for an overhaul
2. You’ve Never Updated Your Website
Shame on you! You simply cannot publish a website and never update the content. Do you think there is nothing new to say about your business? Really? Do you sell nuts and bolts? Then tell us what’s new in the world of nuts and bolts. Do you sell concrete? Tell us who you’re selling it to and why they’re thrilled with you. This is not so much about overhauling your website as it is about overhauling the way you think about your website. Think there is nothing new to say? Think again.
3. Important Information is Hard to Find
The information on your site needs to be categorized and presented to the user in some logical way. That means links to information must be clearly visible and not buried where users can’t find them. If your site’s navigation is confusing, it may be time for an overhaul.
4. You Can’t Update Your Site Yourself
Today, the majority of new websites being launched are built on a content management system or CMS. The great benefit of a CMS is that it makes updating content very simple and requires no knowledge of HTML or programming. Now companies can take full control of the day to day management of their websites. There goes your excuse. If your website was not built on a CMS platform, it is definitely time for an overhaul.
5. Your Site Doesn’t Show Up Until Page 10 on a Google Search
Achieving high page position on a SRP (Search Results Page) is the stated goal of every business website. But I often see a disconnect between the goal and the execution. It’s about relevant content. If your site is not ranking well for a particular keyword phrase, chances are that phrase doesn’t appear anywhere in your content. Or if it does, the context in which it appears is misleading. If this is the case with your website, it’s time for an overhaul.
6. You’re Embarrassed to Tell People About Your Website
You guessed it. Time for an overhaul.
7. Your Site Was Designed Entirely in Flash
Ouch! That’s so 2008. I’ve talked about this before but it bears repeating. Flash is a very compelling technology that can, when used properly, add some great visual “pop” to your website. But a site built entirely in Flash is virtually impossible to maintain, scores very poorly in search engines, isn’t universally supported on mobile devices (like the iPhone for example) and can distract people from the most important aspect of your website – its content. If your site is built entirely in Flash, it’s time for an overhaul.
8. Your Site Isn’t Bringing You Any Business
Isn’t that the the goal? To get business from your website? If you aren’t, chances are that several of the points mentioned above are at play. That’s why I’ve saved this one for last. If this is the case for you then your website needs to be thoroughly reviewed …and probably overhauled.
And Now Back to You
In almost every case my clients’ websites suffered from at least two or more of these maladies before we worked together to fix them. As a business owner, can you look at your website with an unbiased eye and determine which, if any, of the above problems applies? If you’ve already overhauled your website has it made a difference in your business? I’d like to get your point of view.
Last June I posted an entry calledSEO – Sorting it Out, in which I talked about some general terms relating to search engine optimization, i.e. the difference between sponsored and organic search, submitting your site to search engines, etc. I thought it might be a good idea to revisit the topic and offer some more information that you will find useful.
The Keyword Meta Tag – Does it Still Count?
The keyword meta tag, after years of abuse, has lost its significance. In fact, according to Matt Cutts, Google’s own search quality specialist, Google disregards it completely.
While less rigid than Google regarding the use of the keyword meta tag, Bing still acknowledges that it’s not as important as it used to be. According to Bing’s Webmaster Center blog:
The <meta> tag’s keyword attribute is not the page rank panacea it once was back in the prehistoric days of Internet search. It was abused far too much and lost most of its cachet. But there’s no need to ignore the tag. Take advantage of all legitimate opportunities to score keyword credit, even when the payoff is relatively low. Fill in this tag’s text with relevant keywords and phrases that describe that page’s content.
So what’s the verdict? While there is certainly no harm in using the keyword meta tag, my advice is focus on keyword rich content and don’t worry about the keyword meta tag. But remember, your content should make sense to humans first. Context matters.
Use the Tools
Yes, the big players in the search universe make all the rules. But they don’t keep them a secret. In fact, both Google and Bing make their suggestions and protocols very public. So if you’re a hands on type and want to know more about search engine best practices, here are a few musts:
use google analytics – this is a bit of code inserted into the pages of your website that allows google to track user interaction with your site. The data generated is pretty detailed and can help you tweak your site to increase traffic… and it’s free. Find out more here: http://www.google.com/analytics/
understand the <title> and <description> meta tags– each page of your site should have its own unique title and description. These two elements combined make up the snippet you usually see in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). This is not the place to be verbose. The title tag should be limited to 70 characters and the description tag to 150, give or take.
The way the snippet appears in the search results page
use an xml sitemap – most people are familiar with the html site map. That’s the page on a website usually found by clicking the Sitemap link. It presents the user with a visual representation of the site’s page structure. The xml version is not visible to users. It is uploaded to the root directory of the web server. It gives the search spiders a quick snapshot view of the site’s structure thus making it easier for the search robots to crawl and index your site. Both Google and Bing recommend using an xml sitemap.
What if This is All Too Technical for Me?
Fair question. Especially given that these recommendations are only a small part of good optimization. If you are not the hands on type then make sure the individual or company you are hiring to build your website thoroughly understands and is planning to implement all of the above.
Are all of these recommendations in place on your website? Was it discussed before development began?
Why treating your website as an afterthought can stall your business before it starts
Don't Make Your Website an Afterthought
The latest statistics suggest that it will take visitors to your site all of 4 seconds to decide if they want to stay or move on. And that’s down from the last study which put the number at 8 seconds. On the web, first impressions count – a lot! That’s why it continues to surprise me when businesses treat their website as an afterthought. You simply can’t think that way anymore. When I ask would-be clients about their current websites, I typically hear some variation of this response: “I just needed to throw something up there quickly.” Ouch!
Your Website is the Face of Your Business
You wouldn’t go to a business meeting in bell bottom jeans and a tie dye shirt (unless you were very certain the theme of the meeting was “remember the 60’s“). Don’t “dress” your website in outdated styles either. And it’s not just about looks. It’s about content, credibility and positive user experience. Remember that for many of your clients, your website will be the only connection they have to your business. If it fails to impress, it may well be the last time they consider doing business with you. Think of it this way: if your website is well constructed, looks professional and polished and is easy to use, it won’t matter if you are actually working out of a broom closet. Why? Because your website gives you the credibility of a well established, successful business. That’s what you really want isn’t it? But here’s the danger. It works the other way too. If you are a long established business with an impressive client list, a poorly designed and executed website will erode your credibility. See where I’m going with this?
Your Website is Huge Part of Your Marketing Effort
It’s true, and a bit surprising, that many business owners still don’t get the power of the Internet and the importance of a website. Why else would they “throw something up there quickly“? If you’re a start up or a new company still writing a business plan, make your website part of the plan. Budget for it. How much should you budget? Hard to say but you should be talking to a web professional early in the process to get a handle on the cost. If you don’t see clients at your office or facility then I would say this. Take the money you might spend on a fancy chair and expensive desk – which your clients will never see – and add it to your website budget. Not only will your clients see your website, they will judge you by it.
The Tragedy of Underestimating Your Website
Here’s why I call it a tragedy.You’ve spent countless hours planning, thinking, forecasting, hoping. You’ve spent hard earned money on equipment, office space, employees. Then you launch a website that squanders the precious 4 seconds you have to make a first impression. That’s a tragedy.
Summary
Understand your website is the face of your business
Understand your website is a very powerful marketing tool
Make your website part of your business plan from the beginning. Don’t treat it as an afterthought.
Budget for it. Make a web design professional part of your early discussions so you will always have a realistic idea about the cost
Is your website an effective expression of your business? What’s the feedback been?
For those with limited resources, short time frames and no desire to get their hands dirty, web design services offering a quick, easy and cheap template driven solution may be the right answer. But beware! Make sure you know exactly what you’re signing up for so down the road what looked convenient and easy doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare.
It’s Your Domain Name. Own it.
Working with a company that “takes care of everything” for you may be fine but when it comes to registering your domain name, make sure it is being registered under YOUR name and associated with YOUR contact information. Why is this important? Consider the case of Acme Plumbing [names have been changed to protect the innocent]. They hired a “we’ll take care of everything” company to design their website. The sales rep registered the company’s domain name under his own name and contact information. When the domain name was several months from expiring, the renewal emails were sent to the sales rep. See where this is going? The sales rep left the company. Acme Plumbing had no idea their domain name was expiring until they were unable to access their website. Nightmare number 1.
Can Your Website Grow as Your Business Grows?
Sure it’s tempting to get your three page website up in 24 hours. Especially when all you have to do is email your content to the design company and voila! There it is. Your shiny new website. But if your business plan calls for growth – and if it doesn’t why are you in business – make sure you understand the process of growing your website to match your growing business. Will your web design company add pages for you as part of your original contract? If not, how much will it cost? How quickly will they get to it. How much control do you have?
Another Nightmare Scenario
World’s Best Electricians [again, names have been changed to protect the innocent] went with a “one stop shopping” web design service. The company registered his domain name, built a three page website with stock photos of their choosing, and hosted the site on their servers. Joe, the owner of World’s Best, didn’t have to do anything. What a deal. Except Joe’s business started growing. He wanted to use real photos of his work. He wanted to add testimonials. You get the picture. Not part of the deal said his one stop shopping company. Joe has decided he wants a brand new website but needs to get the domain name transferred to his name. Problem. His sales rep, apparently the only person with any knowledge of his account, has left the company. Nightmare number 2.
Conclusion
I am not condemning the template driven, one stop, quick and easy web design companies. They offer a valuable service. What I am saying is make sure you understand very specifically what the company will and won’t do for you. It is important for your business to understand the following:
make sure your domain name is registered to you
understand your web design company’s policy about updating your site, i.e. adding pages, etc
make sure the company is reputable and has a measurable track record
try to find out the average life span of the company’s sales personnel. If there is frequent turnover ask why. Be suspicious.
Chances are you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your business. Perhaps you have a three year plan, a five year plan or even a ten year plan. Keep that in mind when deciding who will build your company’s website.
I was leaving my job at a cable advertising firm on Newbury Street in Boston one Friday afternoon and saw a UPS truck with the characters www.ups.com printed directly under the phone number on the truck’s rear panel. Pretty unremarkable except for one thing. It was 1994. Now I’m not normally known as a prophet but I turned to my wife and said “someday every company is going to have one of those website thingys.” I don’t remember her exact reply but I think it was something about how only the bigger companies would be able to afford one. It all seems pretty funny right now doesn’t it? But as luck, or fate would have it, the very next Monday the IT Director at my company (it was called MIS back then, remember?) asked me if I wanted to “investigate this internet thing”. I was not on the IT staff. I was a temp doing administrative work to bolster my less than illustrious musical career. Turns out no one on his staff believed the “internet thing” would last. DOHHH!! I said sure, they sent me to an HTML class and, to quote the most overused cliche ever, the rest is history.
Tables, Drop Shadows and Scrolling Marquees, Oh My!
Several HTML classes later, and with just enough Photoshop knowledge to be dangerous, I developed my company’s first website. Its hard to remember this but it was so early in the game that Microsoft hadn’t entered the browser wars yet. It was Netscape 4 and that was it. This website had everything, and I do mean everything. Every graphic had a drop shadow, every button looked like an oval race track, every paragraph was a different font color and size, elements were placed in table cells to keep them from moving around, I even had a scrolling marquee going across the page. I was definitely a practitioner of the “kitchen sink” school of design where the answer to the question “why did you do that” is always “because I can”. But the real kick for me was that I had created something that anyone anywhere in the world could see. It didn’t matter that no one was looking. What mattered was that if they were looking, they would see something I created. Pretty powerful stuff!
When it Started Making Sense
I needed some direction. There had to be someone out there who was a thought leader in this new space. For me, and for many others at the time, that person was David Siegel and his seminal book Creating Killer Web Sites, circa 1997. Using what Siegel termed “guerilla HTML” I began to create more visually pleasing websites. David’s book seems dated now, but he has continued to be a thought leader. [Find out what he’s up to these days at Pull and the 21st Century.]
It’s been a fun ride. And with more and more people viewing websites on their mobile devices, the fun is just beginning.
Do you remember some of those early websites? What do you remember about them? How do you think websites have changed?
Flash animation is an exciting technology that brings motion and visual appeal to the web. When used well it results in a rich and compelling user experience…a good thing to be sure. But before you decide to use Flash in your website there are questions you should ask, things you should know and serious problems to avoid.
Why
Ask yourself why you want to incorporate Flash animation into your website. If the only answer you come up with is because it’s fun to look at, DON’T do it. Your website is a marketing platform. It’s how you are getting the message across about what you are selling, whether it’s a product or a service. The gratuitous use of Flash will divert visitor attention away from your core message. Clearly not what you had in mind when you decided to bring you business to the web. Do you want your visitors to be distracted by the bouncing ball or engaged by compelling content?
Search Engines Can’t See it
While your visitors might be impressed with a slick Flash animation, your most powerful potential ally – Search Engines – will remain blissfully unaware of it. In fact, the Flash piece that you’re so proud of represents a barrier to search results and can end up neutralizing your well constructed marketing plan. Hundreds, perhaps thousand of companies – including some Fortune 1000 brands – found out after spending huge amounts of money on visually slick Flash based websites that they disappeared from search engine results. A good rule of thumb….don’t sacrifice powerful, keyword rich content presented in an uncluttered format for gratuitous eye candy.
So When Should I Use Flash?
In the hands of a talented, experienced programmer, Flash animation can add enormous value to your website. Here are some recommendations:
Never build a website entirely in Flash
Use Flash in small areas inside of a page and never at the top of a page where it will be a potential obstacle to search spiders
Never build your website’s navigation system using Flash
Write good content and then use Flash to support/direct attention to that content NOT divert attention away from it
Use Flash animation to increase the odds that your visitors will take the action(s) you want them to take like buying something, reading something, subscribing to something, etc.
