10 Tips to Making Your Web Site Successful (Part I of II)
One great way to promote your business is in having a website. People can get to know you a little better even if they are across the continent. A good website will speak directly to your target audience and let them know how you can make their lives better. A good website will represent you well and increase your clientele. A good website will work 24/7 as a virtual receptionist, getting the word out about your business while you spend your time doing what you do best: accounting. But where do you start? Here are first five of ten tips that will make your website successful.
1. Pick a memorable domain nameWhich would you find easier to remember? www.happyaccounting.com or www.128.64.348.82.com/accounting/john_doe/homepage.com? When you pick a memorable domain name, chances are the people you share it with will visit your website later. And remember, memorable and cheesy are not synonymous. Your target audience is looking for a professional, not a standup comic in the making.
2. Hire a professionalUnless you’re a closet programmer, you might want to leave the website designing to professionals. While there are software programs that walk you through website design, consider enlisting the help of someone who has experience designing websites for small businesses. Consider the advice you give business owners trying to manage their own accounting: let the professionals do what they do best, so that you can do the same.
(Stay tuned for more on the web site you receive as a part of your Program package in Part II)
3. Find the right website hostingA few years ago I created a website using a free hosting service. When I went to my site, all I could see was my title and a bunch of huge banner adds. I had to scroll down quite a ways before accessing my content. It was confusing to me; how would visitors respond? When in doubt it’s good to pay a little extra for a site free of banner ads except those you choose to sponsor your website.
4. Stick with a simple design and clear navigationHow do you respond to Power Point Presentations with neon text, flashing graphics, and nifty rollover effects? It may be hypnotic at first, but can quickly become distracting. While you want your site to be visually appealing, you need to remember that your content is on display, not the clever programming.
Your navigation should also be clear. The internet is all about quick and easy access to data. If your navigation slows users down, chances are they won’t hang around to find the information they’re looking for; they’ll go to a website that’s more transparent.
5. The site should be about the client, not about youYour website should not be one big ego trip. While you want to be confident and assure visitors that you are a qualified accountant, your site should be more about the remarkable things you can do for your clients than about how remarkable you are.
That is why Universal Accounting Center, when you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you receive a customizable web site for you to be able to get your feet wet with. This site is available for you to be able to sell those who come to it, support your marketing and advertising efforts and give a way for your potential clientele to look up and do more research about you.
These are just five of ten things you can do to build a successful website for your business. If you don’t have a website yet, it’s time you got one. It’s a great way to promote your business. And in this day and age it’s difficult to be successful without an internet presence. It doesn’t have to be painful or expensive. But it should be done right. Come back next week to read about five more things you can do that will help you do just that: Click Here for the Professional Bookkeeper Program and find out more about the web site offered within the PB program!
Stay tuned for next week when we cover the following web site tactics:
- Approach the site as an outsider
- Use clear, straight-forward text
- Offer practical information for free
- Test your site
- Market your site
