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Somebody has
to build your website. You do it or someone else does. You see a
lot of companies advertise their web-builders that are simple to use and get
your website up and running. That's true, but you can almost always
tell which sites are built from web-builders. They have limitations
that are easy to spot. But overall, many work exceptionally well and
we recommend you give them a try first. If you don't like what you
see, or feel it's too difficult or that you don't have the time, you can
always change venues and have someone else do it.
Functional websites are "sticky" websites and they will keep
your potential customers informed. Your website is not a "neon sign",
it's more of a "mousetrap". If you want glitter, lights flashing, and
so much movement you need four pairs of eyes - you're probably in junior
high school trying to impress 13 year olds. Information is in. How many times have
you been on a website and asked yourself, "Now where do I go to find what I
need?" That's very common. Websites are cluttered with
advertising that has nothing to do with the business, and the site is not
laid-out to make it easy to navigate.
Where are you located? What
are your hours? Exactly what types of services or products do you
offer? How can they get in touch with you? These are questions
that get answered with functional websites.
We kind of
think this website is easy to navigate. But our opinion amounts to
only so much. It's not about what we think, but what our audience
thinks (you!).
When you
design your site you'll need consistency throughout. Changing design
on every page is confusing and chases your customers away quickly.
Information is King. Take the questions your customers have asked you
over the phone or in person and put them (and the answers) on your website.
Be sure to
keep your content updated. Going into your site and entering specials
or information relevant to seasonal events goes a long way. You'll
sometimes see dates on a website. Those are automatic and gives the
viewer a sense of NOW. You'll find one of these date functions on our
Home Page.
Don't forget
your Logo! If you don't have one - make one. Our logo is text
(with some stretched) made into a .jpg. We use a logo software
program. But you can probably find some cheap (free) basic program on
the internet. You don't need anything fancy. Whatever you use,
be sure to also use it in your business cards, letterhead, and brochures!
Use of color is important. Be sure that your logo is readable in
"black and white".
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