creating an effective website

Creating an Effective

Website

Why Every Business Needs One And How To Get The One You Want

http://ww.deluxe.com

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Today Every Business Needs a Website…………………....................4Customers Are Looking For You Online....................................................................4Online Presence Builds Credibility...........................................................................6A Website Creates Real-World Customer Connections.............................................7

Chapter 2: Figuring Out What Your Website Needs..................................................8Who Is Your “Target Audience”?..............................................................................8What Do You Want Website Visitors To Do?..............................................................8What Kind Of Website Do You Need?.......................................................................9What Will Your Domain Name Be?.........................................................................10Where Will You Host Your Website?........................................................................10How Will Your Website Fit Into Other Marketing Efforts?.........................................11

Chapter 3: Essentials of a Website Plan……………………………………….12 10 Website Must-Haves……..…………………………………………….......12Your Website Represents Your Brand……………………………………….......17Getting Your Website Built: Pros and Cons of DIY Websites…………...................18

Chapter 4: Making Your Website To Go: Mobile Websites…………..................... 19 What Is A Mobile Website?.......……..……………………………………........19Essentials of a Mobile-Friendly Website................................................................ 20Benefits of Mobile Sites. …………………………………………………........21Connecting With The Deluxe Website Team...................……………………........21

CONTENTS

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8 OF 10 ONLINE CONSUMERS SEARCH ONLINE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.1

Think about it. When you need to find a particular kind of store, check out pricing and find out its location, where do you look? You very likely search online—and the businesses that have easy-to-find and easy-to-use websites are the ones that get your business.

Research shows that the first place the vast majority of consumers turn for information on local businesses is the Internet.

That means your customers and prospects are looking for you online, from their laptops as well as tablets and mobile devices. In other words, your business needs to be online. Fortunately, you hardly need anytechnical skills to have a professional looking, effective website. Deluxe has helped millions of small businesses just like you get their companies online and found.

The Internet is a powerful marketing tool for small businesses. Whether you choose to build your own website or leave it to the experts at Deluxe, this eBook will help you get the website your business needs and de-serves.

You have a business to run. Our experts can help you with your website so you can stay focused on what you do best.

Let’s get started.

1Pew Internet Research.

INTRO

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TODAY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE

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CHAPTER 1:

You may already promote your business in a variety of ways, from handing out business cards to advertising. However, today’s world has changed dramatically and your marketing plan actually has to have, if nothing else, a website.

REASON #1: CUSTOMERS ARE SEARCHING FOR YOU ONLINE

CONSIDER THESE THREE KEY FACTORS.

THE STATISTICS TELL THE STORY:

85% OF U.S. ADULTS USE THE INTERNET. Pew Internet Research, 2013.

EVERY SECOND, THERE ARE 400,000+ SEARCHES RUN ON GOOGLE, BING AND YAHOO. comScore, Nov 2013.

97% OF CONSUMERS SEARCH ONLINE FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES - YET 58% OF SMALL BUSINESSES DO NOT HAVE A WEBSITE. Google, 2012.

What’s more, a growing number of searches are being done with mobile devices. In fact, experts predict that by 2015 more people will be accessing the Web with phones, laptops, tablets (such as the iPad) or other mobile devices than from desktop computers. (91% of U.S. adults now own mobile phones, according to Pew Internet Research.)









TODAY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE

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CHAPTER 1:

MOBILE IS GAINING QUICKLY:

IN 2013, CONSUMERS SPENT MORE TIME ON MOBILE DEVICES THAN DESKTOPS AND LAPTOPS. comScore, 2013.

63% OF MOBILE DEVICE OWNERS ACCESS THE INTERNET. Pew Internet Research, 2013.

49% OF U.S. MOBILE DEVICE USERS GET DIRECTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS OR OTHER LOCATION-BASED INFORMATION. Pew Internet Research, 2013.

73% OF MOBILE DEVICE SEARCHES TRIGGER FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS, INCLUDING PURCHASES, CALLS, VISITS AND SHARING INFORMATION. Google-Nielsen Study, 2012.









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REASON #2: ONLINE PRESENCE BUILDS CREDIBILITY

Imagine not having your company’s name on your building, or on company vehicles. Imagine not having business cards. Today, not having a website is just as unthinkable. If you don’t have a website, potential customers — especially those who’ve heard about you from a friend or family member — may doubt the credibility of your business. With so many easy and affordable ways to build a professional website, now is the time to let customers know that your business is legitimate, knowledgeable and willing to connect with them when, where and how they want.

CHAPTER 1: TODAY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE

“IN THIS DAY AND AGE, HAVING A WEBSITE IS AS IMPORTANT AS HAVINGA PHONE NUMBER. CUSTOMERS EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO FIND YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE—BUT IF THEY CAN’T, THEY’LL WORK WITH THE BUSINESSES THEY CAN FIND ON THE WEB.”

From the Deluxe Webinar “How to Create an Effective Website.”









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REASON #3: A WEBSITE CREATES REAL-WORLD CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS

While a website is a source of information for your customers and prospects, it has the potential to translate visits into results—including leads and sales.

CHAPTER 1 TODAY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE

A WEBSITE CAN EASILY ALLOW VISITORS TO: • Learn about your products or services • Send you an email • Request that you contact them — letting you capture their phone number, names, email address or other information• Sign up to receive a newsletter • Download a printable coupon• Read customer reviews or comments• Follow your business on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn • Share your website page with their friends and family • Get driving directions to your location

“WHEN LOOKING FOR INFORMATION TO MAKE A PURCHASING DECISION, 89.3% OF CONSUMERS GO DIRECTLY TO A COMPANY’S WEBSITE.”AllFacebook.com, 2012.

When you think about it, a website is the single most powerful marketing tool you can have to serve and retaincurrent customers as well as find new ones.









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THE FIRST STEP IN CREATING AN EFFECTIVE WEBSITE IS TO DETERMINE AND IDENTIFY YOUR WEBSITE NEEDS AND GOALS.

Start by answering these six key questions:

CHAPTER 2 FIGURING OUT WHAT YOUR WEBSITE NEEDS

1. WHO IS YOUR “TARGET AUDIENCE”? Your “target audience” refers to the people you’re trying to reach. And, since your website is really an extension of your business, you’ll want to create the best online experience for your current and potential customers. Consider these steps: • Identify and understand your target audience. Determine things like gender, age and location. If selling to businesses, also note your target market’s industry and company sizes. • Research which social media sites your customers tend to use. • Identify content that’s important and compelling for your target audience.• Look at your competitors’ websites; identify what you offer that is unique for customers, as well as ways you can be different with your website.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF TARGET AUDIENCES:

BUSINESSRemodeling company DaycareLaw firm Employment agency Tax accountant

TARGET AUDIENCE Homeowners Working mothers Car accident victims Job seekersSmall business owners

2. WHAT DO YOU WANT WEBSITE VISITORS TO DO? Once people are on your website, there are a variety of possible actions you can offer them. Decide what one thing is most important to you that visitors do—then make that feature the most prominent element of the site.









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Here are a few actions you might want website visitors to take, and ways you can help guide them:

Call you

Email you

Visit your business in person

“Like” your business on Facebook

“Follow” your business on Twitter

Your phone number is prominent on every page Your email address is easily found or a form visitors can fill out is on relevant pages Your address, hours of business and a map with directions is easy to find Include “Like us on Facebook” with a Facebook icon or the “Like Box” so they can easily connect to you Include “Follow us on Twitter” with a Twitter icon or even a

Twitter Timeline so they can follow the discussion

IF YOU WANT VISITORS TO… THEN MAKE SURE…

“IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT KIND OF SITE, I SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU MOST WANT ME TO DO WHEN I COME TO YOUR SITE.” -Chris Brogan, Small Business Marketing Expert

3. WHAT KIND OF WEBSITE DO YOU NEED? Now that you’ve determined your target audience and identified what you would like them to do, you’re ready to start considering the type of website you need. As you know from your own experience online, there are many different types of websites. Websites range from simple to complex: from websites that primarily display an address, hours of business and a phone number to websites, such as Amazon.com, that offer millions of products for sale and enable visitors to make purchases. Use this checklist to determine what features you’d like your site to include:

✔ Basic business information, such as operating hours, address, phone number and email address

✔ Description of services or products

✔ List of areas you service

✔ Pricing information

✔ Online store (to sell items online and process payments)

✔ Customer reviews

✔ Appointment setting

✔ Quote and inquiry forms

✔ Customer service

✔ Photo gallery and video

✔ Blog forum

While some of these features are relatively simple to build into websites, others, such as an online store, can add on to the complexity or cost of the site development.









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4. WHAT WILL YOUR DOMAIN NAME BE? A domain name is the unique part of the website address you type into a browser, such as www.mybusiness.com.

It may be your company’s name or, if that name is already taken, something similar. The domain name can also be used in email addresses, such as [email protected].

KEEP IN MIND, YOUR DOMAIN NAME SHOULD BE:• An exact or close match to your company (Gardens Auto = www.gardensauto.com)• Memorable• Unique (not generic)• Less than 15 characters long• Hyphen free

5. WHERE WILL YOU HOST YOUR WEBSITE? In order for your website to exist online, you’ll need to have it hosted – basically a service that ‘stores’ your web pages. Hosting can be purchased through a service provider for a nominal monthly fee. But, before you pick a service with the lowest price, make sure their service has:

• Reliability and speed• Bandwidth and storage• Rich features (e.g., do they offer an analytics tool?)• Ease of transfer

DO SOME SLEUTHING Not sure what your website should include? Check out the websites of some of your competitors or other businesses like yours. Customers may be visiting these sites as well as yours, so you’ll want to make sure your website offers useful information and features. You may also want to look for ideas at websites that are outside your industry — it’s a great way to make your own website unique and impactful.

“DOMAIN NAMES WITH .COM ARE 10X MORE POPULAR THAN .NET.”- Whois Source









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6. HOW WILL YOUR WEBSITE FIT INTO YOUR OTHER MARKETING EFFORTS? You’ll put top-spin on your website when you make it part of all your marketing. Think of where and how you can list and promote the website:

• On your business cards • On print or radio ads, flyers, brochures, etc. • As part of your email signature • On your voicemail message: “Be sure to visit us online at www.ourbusiness.com.”• On your invoices, bills or receipts• On your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles • On any graphics or decals on business vehicles• On directory listings and maps pages on the web

In short, think of all the ways you can let customers and prospects know you have a website. It will soon become as second-nature to you as listing your phone number.

WWW.GREENCANOPY.COMWWW.GREENCANOPY.COM

WWW.GREENCANOPY.COM









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CHAPTER 3 ESSENTIALS OF A WEBSITE PLAN

BUILDING A WEBSITE IS LIKE BUILDING A HOUSE: YOU NEED A PLAN.

Remember…What’s the one thing you want visitors to do? Keep this in mind as you plot your website plan.

10 WEBSITE MUST-HAVESMaking your website easy to find and as effective as possible, means making sure it has these 10 essentials:

1. INCORPORATE KEYWORDS: In order for search engines to understand what’s on your page and better connect you to potential visitors, you need to have your most important information (keywords) included in your website. These typically are embedded during the meta-tagging process in the following three key areas: • Title Tag: descriptive, keyword-rich and specific – tags are major contributors to ranking and should be less than 65 characters long • Meta Description: keyword-rich – this explains what the website is about and helps click-thru rates • Meta Keywords: match to related search terms used by your target audience

You’ll want to wrap these keywords naturally into your copy, since your website should appeal to human visitors first, search engines second. Keywords to consider:

• Your company name and key people, such as “John Johnson, plumber” and “Johnson and Smith Plumbing Company, Dallas” • Products or services your business offers, such as “plumbing,” “child care,” “oil changes” or “wedding cakes” • The geographic area you serve, such as “San Jose, California,” “Twin Cities metro” or “greater Cleveland”• Phrases customers may search for, such as “car wash coupons,” “Minneapolis dry cleaner,” “free roofing estimates” or “Phoenix estate attorneys”

Title Tag

Meta Description

Title Tag

Meta Description

Meta Keywords









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2. INCLUDE MULTIPLE POINTS OF CONTACT: Make it easy for visitors to contact you. Display your phone number prominently at the top and bottom of every page. Include your email address and possibly your physical address in the footer (the bottom bar) of every page. Be sure to create a “Contact” page that includes all the above information, plus a map, directions, hours of operation and possibly a form visitors can fill out for more information.

3. MAKE BRANDING PROFESSIONAL & CONSISTENT: Save the smiley faces and animated graphics for emails to your friends—your website should have a professional look that matches your brand. Use colors that go with your logo colors; choose one or two fonts and use them consistently across the site; make sure graphics or photos complement each other and look professional. If in doubt, keep it simple.

4. PROVIDE CLEAR CALLS-TO- ACTION: A “call-to-action” refers to text on your website that invites visitors to do something. Clear calls-to-action get visitors to take the next step and go from just looking at your website to contacting your business. Calls-to-action could include: • Learn More (link to download a brochure, an eBook, product guide, catalog, etc.)• Call Now • Free Consultation or Free Estimate • Get a Price Quote • Buy Now• Make an Appointment • Request a Demo• Request a Sales Call • Sign Up (for a newsletter, email tips or special offers) • Follow Us on Twitter, Like Us on Facebook, Connect on LinkedIn• Register (for a drawing or a prize) • Visit Us (link to map)









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5. MAKE PAGES EASY TO READ: Most people just scan the information in websites rather than read it top to bottom, start to finish. Make pages simple to scan by remembering an “F” pattern—put important content across the top of the pages and down the left side. Also, use bold headlines and subheads to make information easy to scan.

6. MAKE THE SITE EASY TO NAVIGATE: Navigation tabs or buttons should be consistent across every page. As mentioned above, you’ll want to position navigation using the F-shaped reading pattern, with buttons, links or tabs running across the top or left side of the page. Also be sure to:• Keep your primary navigation to eight tabs or less (five is ideal)• Make clickable elements consistent, especially in terms of font, size and other stylistic elements• Include a header and footer on each page for key links and information• Add a progress tracker (sometimes called a Breadcrumb) close to the top of each page. It should look something like “Home> Catalog> Product #1”, giving visitors an easy way to backtrack.


Courtesy of the Nielsen Norman Group








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7. PUT IMPORTANT INFO “ABOVE THE FOLD”: Think of a newspaper — the biggest stories are on the top half of the page, or “above the fold.” Your website should do the same. According to a recent Nielsen report, 80% of site visitors won’t scroll down the whole page, so make sure the important info is near the top:

8. MAKE THE SITE QUICK TO LOAD: If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, visitors may abandon it and go to a competitor’s site instead. You can help ensure the site loads quickly by keeping image sizes low (but still of good quality) and limiting the number of videos, widgets, photos and social media sharing buttons embedded in the site.

9. BUILD CREDIBILITY & TRUST: Your website should help potential customers get to know you and trust your work. To help build credibility, include samples of your work on the site; testimonials from happy customers; links to newspaper or magazine articles that have featured your business; any awards you’ve received; and logos of any local organizations you belong to, such as the Chamber of Commerce.

MOST USERS READ ONLY 28% OF THE WORDS ON A WEBSITE PAGE. - Jakob Nielsen

• Place your business name and logo in a prominent spot• Emphasize what you do with a strong headline or tagline• Use special offers to draw interest • Summarize your services or products using your menu bar and visuals• Make it clear what visitors should do – calls-to-action, that include your number, a contact form, and maybe an option to download information, etc. Keep in mind that “above the fold” is a moving target with the increase of mobile and tablet use, but it’s still critical in website design.









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10. CONNECT TO SOCIAL MEDIA: Whether your customers are consumers or other businesses, connecting with them on social media is a great way to spread the word about your products or services, as well as increase traffic to your website. You’ll want to know on which social networks your target audience spends their time. Here’s a quick rundown of the most popular sites:

• Facebook - still reigns as the largest social site and offers opportunities to nurture relationships and target ads • Twitter - great for communicating real-time news, assisting with customer service and supporting event coverage • LinkedIn - serves as largest network for businesses and professionals and is ideal for building relationships, partnerships and hiring • YouTube - the largest video-sharing site provides a place to easily share your expertise, tips and behind-the- scenes company videos • Google+ - a growing networking site that has a link to a company’s Google+ account is a good way to influence shares • Pinterest - one of the most visual social sites with a female-oriented member base. Great for retailers and other highly visual businesses.• Instagram - great for showcasing your company with stylized images and videos. Perfect for businesses in hospitality, retail and entertainment.• SnapChat - one of the newest kids on the block, this social app allows users to share short-lived photo and video messages.

Be sure to add icons and links from your website to the social networking sites you select as most relevant to your target audience.

“73% OF ONLINE ADULTS USE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES.”









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Your brand: it’s who you are as a business. It’s your personality. From the name of your company to your logo and slogan, they all add up to help your business stand out from the crowd and stick in customers’ minds.

So it’s important to remember that your website is your brand online. A visitor’s first impression of your website will also be their first impression of your business, so you want to make sure it’s a good one. Keep these tips in mind:

1. Start with a professional logo design2. Use colors throughout your website to reflect your brand 3. Use only professional and coordinated photos and graphics4. Limit the number of fonts to one or two styles5. Make sure all text, captions and other information is easy to read

YOUR WEBSITE REPRESENTS YOUR BRAND









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Once you’ve established a clear goal and plan for your website, you’ll need to decide who will build it. Whether you choose to do-it-yourself (DIY) or have someone else do it for you (DIFM) will depend on your technical skills, the amount of time you have to dedicate to the project, your budget and your timeline.

To see whether building the site yourself might be a good fit for you, answer the questions below. In making a final decision, be sure to weigh the pros and cons of each route:

GETTING YOUR WEBSITE BUILT: PROS AND CONS OF DIY WEBSITES

DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) WEBSITE BUILDING Pros: • Complete control over the template, design and code • Update the site whenever you like • No expense related to hiring someone to build the site

Cons: • Requires at least some computer, graphic design and writing skills • Requires a significant investment of time—both during building and updating for the site• You may run into technical issues that you can’t resolve on your own

DIFM (DO IT FOR ME) WEBSITE BUILDING Pros: • No need for computer or technical knowledge; experts take care of it for you• Spend more time running your business vs. your business running you • If any technical issues arise, your Web Designer will solve them for you and make sure the site works properly

Cons: • Requires an investment in the Web Design services • Web Designer may need to make updates for you • Site design will depend on the templates available

SHOULD I BUILD MY OWN WEBSITE? ASK YOURSELF…Do I enjoy working on the computer? Am I comfortable with email and the Internet?Do I know how to do website coding and keyword tagging?Will I know what to do if the website doesn’t work?Do I know how to secure website hosting and upload the site? Do I have some basic computer graphic design skills?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, a “Do It For Me” or DIFM approach may be best for you.









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CHAPTER 4 MAKING YOUR WEBSITE TO GO: MOBILE WEBSITES

Mobile phones are being called mobile devices for a good reason: by 2015, more people will use their mobile phones, a.k.a. smartphones, to go online than their desktop computers. In fact, some people are already declaring that the laptop is dead technology. Smartphones are now part of our daily lives, and businesses that make their websites easy to use on mobile devices will have an advantage in capturing customers who are looking for local businesses while out and about.

Only 33% of advertisers have a mobile-optimized website. Google/Ipsos/TNS, Global Perspectives: The Smartphone User & The Mobile Marketer, Jun 2011

96% of smartphone users have researched a product or service on their device.Our Mobile Planet: United States, Google/Ipsos OTX MediaCT, US, May 2012.

WHAT IS A MOBILE WEBSITE?

Mobile websites differ from regular websites in a few key ways: • They’re designed specifically for small screens, sizing text and photos to fit the screen to minimize the amount of scrolling required to read the content • They have clickable phone numbers that dial businesses directly from the mobile device • They include easy-to-access location information, with a clickable link to get directions in the mobile device’s mapping application • They load quickly, with streamlined graphics and features• They’re “thumb friendly,” with links, search boxes and buttons that are easy to press with the touch of a finger

LATEST RESEARCH SUGGESTS 56% OF THE POPULATION HAS A SMARTPHONE; 66% ACCESS THE INTERNET EVERY DAY FROM THEIR PHONE, AND MOST NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT.1 1Pew Internet Research, 2013









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ESSENTIALS OF A MOBILE-FRIENDLY WEBSITE

If you want to make your website mobile friendly (and not build a dedicated mobile website), make sure your websitehas these mobile-friendly features:

• Limited photo and graphic sizes for speedy loading• Simple site navigation • Clickable phone numbers so visitors can connect directly• Thumb-friendly buttons, links and search boxes• Prominent location and service area information and clickable maps

OF COURSE, THE BEST OPTION IS TO HAVE A MOBILE WEBSITE BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR USE WITH TABLETS AND SMARTPHONES.









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BENEFITS OF MOBILE SITES

Beyond making it easy for customers to view your site on their smartphones, having a mobile site offers other unique benefits: • Conversion: Clickable phone numbers and maps make it easy for customers to take action • Credibility: 1 in 5 mobile device users have a negative opinion of a business with a poor mobile site or no mobile site at all • Connectivity: Smartphone users often use their devices to connect with social media sites, so a mobile site featuring links to your social media profile makes it seamless for customers to connect with your business on social networks

IN THE END, CREATING AN EFFECTIVE WEBSITE REQUIRES HAVING A SIMPLE AND CLEAN DESIGN, GIVING YOUR VISITORS A CLEAR PATH TO TAKE THE ACTION YOU INITIALLY SET OUT TO ACHIEVE.

At Deluxe, our job is to let you focus on what you want to do — and what you do best. Whether you have a website that needs to be improved, or don’t yet have a website, our Google-certified, website-marketing experts are ready to help you in any way they can. All you need to do is ask.

Our expertise is at your command. Call 866.255.9077 today or simply request a call for a free web design consultation to get started.

Deluxe: A Trusted Resource for Small Business• 4 million small business customers • 680,000+ websites hosted • Business marketing experts • Helping small businesses succeed since 1915

Get More Expert Tips • Attend our free online marketing webinars at deluxe.com/webinars • Stop by our blog to get new ideas to market and run your business


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