Writing

The written content for your website is important. Well written content can make a website engaging and informative. However, the ability to write engaging content is not something everyone can do. Remember what you have to say is part of that critical first impression. If you have never been told you are a good writer, it might pay you to find someone who is.

If you are concerned about search engine optimization every page needs at least 300 words of content and should include links to both internal and external content.

Always avoid harvesting content from the Internet. Googles algorithms spot this instantly and it will cost you in page ranking and you are also risking copyright infringement.

Marketing

Sales and Marketing is by far the most important part of any business.
Having the best mousetrap, product or service means nothing without marketing.
Depending on your business or service this can go in many directions but in today’s environment, online marketing is the most important start and the best way to create the first impression of your company or organization.

You might start with a Facebook page or a Website:
 “First Impression”. Your landing page must look professional, project a warm, friendly feeling as well as be engaging. The use of multimedia may help your visitor and encourage them to look further, however, you must remember that they are not coming to your website to be entertained with flipping images and things moving all over the place. They must be able to get to the information they want in one click. This is accomplished with well planned site logic and an intuitive menu system. This, combined with professional writing, photos and multimedia, will insure your site is built to present your business in a positive light.

If your website will be relatively static and you have a limited budget you should consider using services like WIX, WEEBLY, SQUARESPACE, etc. This may be the solution for a small business looking for a cost-effective website. But it is not practical for a professional level website.

Having a great website is not a ticket to a successful business.
It will just lay dormant unless you can draw people to it. This is the next step in your marketing program. You need to promote it in your other marketing materials such as social media, brochures, and even your business cards.

Your professional web developer will apply search engine optimization standards (SEO) but if your market is national or international you need to consider professional SEO optimization. This can get very expensive.

Choosing a web developer:
To run a successful web development business you should have a staff of four to six employees and include writers, graphic designers, and programmers. To support staff that size you need to be developing at least three or four large websites a month and with that, the business will have a substantial portfolio.

Most are one or two-person operations offering little to no portfolio. If the president of a company answers the phone that might be your first clue. However, that being said there will probably be some cost savings and you may have some comfort with that person. Just be sure you have a backup if that person is no longer available.

Stay away from proprietary systems.
There are some developers out there who have written their own content management system which is considered a proprietary system, meaning if they disappear you have nothing. Few websites today are developed in straight HTML code most are content management systems developed with programs like WordPress or Joomla. These are out of the box content management systems that can be easily modified or taken over by other developers with the needed admin password. Make sure you have admin credentials when you take delivery of a website. You may never need it but you should have it.