Where’s Your Web Site?

By Brendon Mills
Posted Wednesday, July 21, 2004

This simple question can take on several different forms, but if you have your own web site, all are equally important. Don’t worry, this isn’t a sales letter, and it’s well worth a read.

That opening question can mean “where is your web site hosted?”, or “where in the search engines is your web site?”, or it can mean “where in your marketing does it appear?”

Let’s take the first option. Do you actually know where your web site is held? To most people, it’s not really that important, as long as you receive the service you require. The problem comes when you don’t really know what’s available. Get your current web site provider to tell you exactly what you are getting, and how much you are paying for each component of it, and then compare it with other companies. This is a very competitive market and you need to know what you can get for your money.

The next question is vital. Do you know whether people are finding your web site from search engines, and what they are typing in to find it? There are many key phrases that the majority of people use to locate businesses or products and services. Some of these will be obvious, but others can be more obscure.

You can use little tricks to gain more visitors. For example, there may be a common mis-spelling that people use to find your site that you could take advantage of. Sometimes, you can achieve top results by implementing such terms into your web site content. Analyse your web site traffic, or ask your web site provider to show you a report on how your visitors find you, then work out an action plan to improve the results. The key to a successful web site is constant monitoring and ‘tweaking’.

Thirdly, where is your web site on your marketing material? For most businesses it should be on your business cards, letterheads and stationery. It should also be included in any advertising you undertake. If you have an answering machine, tell your callers about your web site and its’ address on your greeting so they can view it whilst they await your return call. Create a signature for every outgoing email message that you and your company send out, with a link to your web site. Also, ensure that everyone in your organisation knows what your web site address is.

Use your web site as a marketing tool when talking to clients and prospects over the phone. Ask them to look at it while you speak and direct them to relevant areas instead of posting out brochures. With a more visual and immediate response as this, you could gain more customers. Why not place small window stickers in your vehicle windows? Think about how many people you pass during your average journey to the office. If you have remote staff or field staff, think about how many people will see their vehicle during a day. With today’s traffic, most drivers have plenty of time to write down the address!

So, where is YOUR web site?

About The Author
Brendon Mills operates the web design firm LemonEye Ltd in the UK (http://www.lemoneye.com). His designs are unique and well thought out. And his promotion strategies get results.