White Knight

Are you contemplating the development of a custom web design for your business? Perhaps you have asked yourself whether or not it’s actually worth the investment. After all, a quality Web site featuring ecommerce design can be expensive. If you doubt the value of having a Web site for your business, take a moment to look at a couple of businesses. One business has invested in a quality Web site, while the other business has chosen to make a go of it without one.

Missed Opportunities

The business that chooses not to have a site developed misses out on many opportunities. The most obvious loss to a business without a Web site is market exposure. A Web site acts as a worldwide advertisement for your business. It’s available to anyone twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week.

Your Credibility

Another aspect to consider are the customers who have come to expect that the companies they want to do business with have an ecommerce Web site. The business that doesn’t have one will lose credibility in the eyes of those customers. The convenience of shopping online is another consideration you’ll need to keep in mind.

Meeting Customer Needs

Customers expect their needs to be met as soon as possible and the immediacy and convenience of a Web site provides that. The business that doesn’t have a site stands the very real possibility of failure. If a business chooses not to have a site, they’re choosing to ignore an opportunity for growth and the marketing value that a site provides.

The business that does choose to have a quality Web site built will capitalise on many opportunities that would have otherwise been missed. Besides the missed advantages in the previous paragraphs, the business that chooses to have a site built will benefit in other ways as well.

Inexpensive Advertising

Web site development can be done for a fraction of the cost associated with print advertising. It is also much easier to update on a regular basis. Because your site is available to the masses every hour of every day, you can reach many more people than with standard print advertising in magazines and newspapers.

Alternative Revenue

As your Web site grows in popularity, you’ll be reaching more and more people. Consider the possibility that your site could also be a vehicle for the diversification of your revenue streams. How is this possible? Paid advertisements on your site for other businesses that offer services or products that are related to what you offer. Not only will this provide an alternative source of revenue, but also your search engine ranking will progressively move upward.

Investor Validation

If you own a business and you are looking for investors, a Web site provides an excellent means of casting a positive light on your company. It gives investors an opportunity to get a better look at the services and products you offer. A good Web site is also a means by which you can provide investor information in a private and secure forum. A well-built site is the perfect way to showcase your business.

Feedback and Frequently Asked Questions

One final positive component of a business Web site is its ability to provide answers to your customer’s most common questions. If your site is filled with relevant information that is easy to access, your customers will be much more likely to purchase the products you offer. Another important aspect of your site is that it can provide a way for your customers to communicate with you. Consider the value of receiving feedback regarding what your customers truly need.

Web sites are one of the most important components of a solid business model. Without one, you can expect that your business will probably not be taken seriously. You can also expect that your customers will go to any competitors that do have sites. Ultimately, not having a site for your business could be the difference in whether or not your business survives at all.

Currently there are over 106 million domain names, worldwide. To put this into context, as a potential website owner you will have to compete for the spotlight with thousands of other sites of similar nature to yours. For this reason, whether you are in the market for a basic website or a custom web design, it is important that an appropriate domain name is selected.

What is a Domain Name?

Simply put, a domain name is the actual name of the website that is input across the text field of a web browser (For example is www.wkwd.com.au). In essence, the domain name becomes the website name that all of your customers and potential customers will come to know you by.

How Do I Choose a Domain Name?

A professional web design orecommerce design company can help you choose an appropriate domain name. The actual process is quite simple however, there are a few things that you should consider when selecting the best name for your website.

Shorter is Easier to Remember

Even though you want your business name as your domain, you want to make sure that you keep the name as short as possible without losing your brand’s recognition. If you have a business such as “No Worries” then it’s pretty easy to choose a name, like www.noworries.com.au. However, if your name is “The No Worries Bottle Shop” you may still want to consider something along the lines of www.noworries.com.au, or www.bottleshop.com.au.

Keywords Rule

You might be asking, “If you own ‘The No Worries Bottle Shop’, why would you compromise your brand by shortening it to bottleshop.com.au?” The fact of the matter is that keywords in your domain name will help your search engine ranking. You might even consider purchasing several domain names that have the key words of the items you sell and point those domain names toward your website. Your web design firm or a Search Engine Optimisation specialist will be able to assist you with this process.

Hyphens Are Not Your Mate

You should never us a hyphen in your domain name. This topic could be left at that, but it’s important to understand why. First of all, nearly everyone who uses the Internet understands that most names within domain names are all one word. This means that it has become the standard. Many people use this theory when searching for a business on the web. They’ll place their cursor in the text field on their browser and start typing away “www.businessnamehere.com” and see if it works. If you decide to go against the standard, then you risk people having problems finding your website. Hyphens are not standard therefore you simply should avoid using them.

Numbers Are 2, Two, Too, To Hard Work With

Another thing to avoid in your domain name is numbers. As you can see in the sub-title, a good example of this is the number two. When someone verbally gives out your domain name, you want the person hearing the information to be able to go home, type in the domain and come to your website. This can be rather tough if you have a business named “Got To Be a Good Business” and you decided that it’d look cool if you set up your domain name to be “www.got2bgood.com.au”. This same rule applies to shortening words like “be” to “b”. Keep it simple and people will find your website.

A Unique Name is a Memorable Name

When you choose your domain name, be sure that it’s unique. This doesn’t mean, one of a kind, strange or so far out there that no one gets it. It just means that you should avoid a domain name that is similar to others because people might mistype it and end up at someone else’s site.

Creating a domain name can be simple and fun. Just stick to these little bits of advice and you’ll have a great domain name for you site in no time at all.

When it comes to the development of your Web site, you might think that you can hire a design firm, tell them you want a great site, then sit back and let the development commence. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The process of developing a quality Web site that will be relevant to your target audience is as much your responsibility as it is the design firm’s.

Having a vision of the end result

When you approach a design firm to build your site, you should have a clear vision of what you want. The more details you give, the better the project will be. This means three things. First, do some research and find web sites that you believe are both visually appealing and functional. Share these sites with your design firm. Secondly, give them as much information as you can about your target audience.

A professional web design firm will be able to take this information and produce a product that looks good visually and meets your target audience’s needs. The third thing is a site map. This is an outline of the content that you need to have in your Web site.

Assistance is always available

The domain name of your site needs to be chosen by you. Your design firm can certainly assist you with direction, but when it comes right down to it, the final decision is yours. The same can be said of proofing and copyediting. A good design firm should have this service available, but ultimately, what goes out on your web site is your responsibility.

Considering logos and graphics for your new site

New graphics and logos are also different matters. In the event your company doesn’t have a logo or brand identity, this will need to be approached as a separate project. If you do request additional graphic design and logo development, be prepared to pay additional fees for this service.

Content for your new website

As the business owner, you know your business better than anyone. For this reason alone you are the best person at making the decision of what content and forms need to be placed on your Web site. Secondly, you will need to consider whether updating the site’s content is something that you would like the web firm to complete on your behalf, or whether this is a task that will be completed in-house.

If you are considering an eCommerce design for your new site, then you will also need to let your web company know what secure processes, such as a shopping cart system or transactions to a secure server or PayPal, need to be implemented into the site. You should also provide photos and copy; however, the design firm can also assist you in providing copy and sourcing photos, if necessary. One thing to keep in mind, when using photos for the web, you need to have the appropriate rights to those photos.

The development of your new site

Once your design firm has this information, they can begin. They should provide a brief and a mock-up of the overall design of the site. As the client, you can either approve or reject these ideas, but keep this in mind: once you’ve approved the brief and chosen a design, any changes to the design or overall Web site will incur extra fees.

Moving forward

When your web firm begins working with you, their account manager can help you with a lot of these processes. However, much of what needs to be provided for the web site is your responsibility. You should also be aware of what is not provided with the web site such as monthly hosting. Hosting, if handled by the design firm, is billed separately and is much like the monthly fee you pay for your mobile phone. The web site is like the phone; the hosting is like the service plan. Both are necessary, but separately priced.

If you go into the site development process knowing what is needed and what your part is, it will result in a great product that makes both you and your customers very happy.

Since their introduction in the late 1980s, devices such as mobile phones, laptops and personal digital assistants, have had a huge impact on the business world. These devices have shaped how businesses grown, sustained themselves and have changed the way business viewed employee productivity.

With the advent of new mobile devices such as netbooks and smartphones, the business world finds itself on the precipice of a new revolution in how it conducts business. In short, these new devices are redefining the ideas of office, inventory, productivity and sales management.

Using mobile devices to stay ahead of your competition

One of the greatest benefits to businesses in the utilization of mobile devices is the appearance that is projected: namely being a market leader. Simply put, businesses who adopt new technologies and who promote that adoption publicly are recognized as market leaders. Such businesses are implementing
these new technologies not only to improve their internal productivity, but also to increase their external exposure.

Adapting your business to cater with the wide spread of mobile devices

In particular, more and more catering, retail and wholesale companies are turning towards online ordering service applications compatible with the popular mobile devices as the iPhone and Blackberry. Professional web design companies closely work with such businesses to develop sites allowing their customers to either to place online orders using the conventional ordering method and through applications compatible with mobile devices.

A great range of device applications designed to increase your productivity

The latest mobile devices have multiple functions that allow businesses to stay ahead of the game. The Apple iPhone has thousands of applications readily available for download through the online App Store. These
“apps” include business management, money management and productivity tools that can have a positive impact a businesses’ bottom line. In fact, smart business
owners are turning to these devices and looking at the applications that are available both for free and at a minimal charge and re-defining how they can be used to promote, organize or increase employee productivity within their business model.

Streamlining your business through the use on mobile device applications

Mobile devices are also great for multiple uses in business. As previously mentioned, the amount of applications available for these devices that can be used to perform specific tasks, is phenomenal. Take, for instance, a recent study that showed the viability of mobile devices in business when those devices are used for specific tasks such as inventory control, maintenance support, order tracking and product customization based on customer input. The study showed that when a business had the correct fit of business applications for their mobile devices, their positive impact on the business was higher.

Staying connected

Another benefit of using mobile devices within your business is the ability to always be connected to current information. Nearly all of the newer mobile devices have the ability to connect to the Internet. This alone is the key to being connected to needed information at any given time. Further, many of these new devices can connect directly to secure networks and custom web design intra sites. If you have a business that relies on finding or processing the most current information available (and most businesses do, these days), then deploying mobile devices among the employees of your company may be critical in giving them access to the information they need, anytime and anywhere.

Mobile devices aren’t going away, so it’s important for you as a business owner to decide whether you’ll utilize them for your business or get left behind.

The most compelling recent news amongst the professional web design and online commerce/development audience pertains to the merger or adoption of technologies between Yahoo, and Microsoft’s Bing search engine. Essentially the 2nd and 3rd leading search engine platforms (#1 being Google) have combined not technologies, but audiences in hopes to gain more of the market share, and refine search engine specifications through user experience.

Google vs. The World

Google controls approximately 65%-75 % of the market share in the U.S. and even more on an international basis. This leaves the combined available share, now dominated by Yahoo/Microsoft, around 28%. Yahoo will adopt Bing’s search technology, but retain autonomy over their interface, thus providing the features that have cemented Yahoo’s audience, while implementing functions that have up started Microsoft’s’ foray into the search engine market. The move will have some influence on search users and advertisers, affecting their experiences and initiatives in different ways. However, the larger impact will be by affecting web developers and advertisers, as their options and audience capabilities have been instantly impacted.

For consumers, the merger will likely be beneficial. As this move creates a direct competition between Google and Yahoo/MS, the quality of search engine optimization and results will likely improve. Because the two engines are now explicitly comparable, stress on continual search efficiency will now be more key than ever. Additionally SEO ‘s and site owners will likely fall victim to a higher filtering standard, translating into better search results for users. Advertisers will also benefit from the merger as the dynamic condenses the overall traffic, and reduces the need for multiple ad placement.

The Real Impact

As the merge relates to not only audiences, but also the inclusion and abandonment of total search indexes, web developers are prone to experience the most major resulting effect. For instance, BOSS (Build Your Own Search Service) developers rely on the Yahoo search index, with it being replaced, many developers will have to seek for a new index and application programming interface in order to continue their aspirations. According to Vanessa Fox, an organic search expert and web columnist, this transition will prove to be complicated. She explains that “If BOSS’s future is left up to Microsoft, I have no doubt that future will involve migrating BOSS users to the Bing search API (application programming interface}. In order to continue to support BOSS, Microsoft would have to completely recreate it to work with the Bing search infrastructure.”

BOSS developers could potentially turn to Google’s Custom Search API.  However, this interface is viewed as more limiting than Microsoft’s rendition. Also Google’s API doesn’t serve to be a conducive basis for web programming. Many other companies, such as CommonCrawl and Alexa, provide web indices as well. Therefore this merge may open the door to a new leader regarding the self-development industry, as BOSS will most likely become defunct.

What the future of search engines holds

While analysis and predictions regarding the effect on various aspects of custom web design and development may prove to be useful, the major concern elicited by this monumental deal relates simply to web traffic. Will this move really change which search engine users decide to work with? Prior to the merge, site owners referred to Yahoo and Google’s indexes chiefly as the barometer for success based on ratings and traffic. Now, a portion of that audience has immediately transferred to Bing, meaning that a major player has been removed, and a new more multifaceted variable has now been introduced. Time will tell how much of a factor the merge will play out to be. However, one piece of knowledge that both the companies and developers share is the fact that Microsoft has now multiplied its force in yet another area of consumer based technology.

The concept of user experience, and the consideration of ideas that lend toward the optimization of that concept, have created a field of interest and study that is growing as a concrete and primary business model regarding the online world. The focus on user experience is defined through standards that involve multiple dynamics. A paramount is placed upon not only the user’s perception of a web site, but also the sites ability to efficiently serve the user’s needs while simultaneously reflecting the business operatives sought after by the owner of the site.

There are many standard sets, such as The Stanford Guidelines, which relate to the functional aspects of a web site, referring to credibility, updates, and other performance based deals. However, evaluating and applying user experience principles involves a more complex and multifaceted mindset. When dealing with UX, (user experience) a web designer or programmer must incorporate concepts that exist independently, but also blend smoothly and work efficiently.

User experience is more than just building a website

One common misconception surrounding UX is that it is the responsibility of the professional web design company to create an effective reflection of one’s business. In reality, all areas of development of a website are critical, especially the content as it contains the philosophy of your business and is the key in sharing this philosophy with your users. Along with effective content organization, marketing techniques and add to the overall effectiveness of a web-site, by understanding what your visitors are looking for when they visit your site.

The discipline of UX is complicated, and in many aspects, still being mastered. Many debate whether the topic is even a distinct area of study. Louis Rosenfeld, an author and publisher who focuses on web information architecture claims of UX that, “At best, it’s a common awareness, a thread that ties together people from different disciplines who care about good design.” While this may be true in many aspects, the discipline albeit still forming, is commanding extensive attention via statistical research methods throughout the online arena.

The Specific Set Of Concepts To Follow

The UX Honeycomb Model, designed by information architect Peter Morville, lays out a specific set of Concepts to be systematically applied when designing a site. Like models focus on functional aspects, such as usability, while involving emotional design principles, which strictly apply to the user’s comfort and attraction to a given website.

This supports the fact that all facets of custom web design and consultation come into play when analysing how a user will feel and react when they visit your site. Perhaps the most key aspect to consider when thinking about UX is how to actually apply its principles. UX is a complex entity which cannot be generally applied through blanket methods. The identity and purpose of each site reflects a unique desired user experience. Therefore, attempting to apply standard methods in order to copy a set formula of another site with a different set of values can be not only detrimental, but also wasteful.

User Experience Must Be Unique For Every Site

Every project engaging UX principles call for a custom outline predicated on the business or non-profit’s available resources, abilities, timeline, finances, and a plethora of realistic factors.

Additionally, because the concept of UX is based on users or people, a detailed paradigm of interpersonal qualities in many ways define the effectiveness of user experience initiatives. Therefore, attempting to broadly and forcefully incorporate a devotion to UX, rather delicately fuse it with existing business principles, would be an ineffective strategy. Steve Baty, principal and user experience strategist at Meld Consulting, concludes that, “People cling to things like personas, user research, drawing comics, etc…In reality the best designers have a toolbox of options, picking and choosing methods for each project what makes sense for that particular project.”

In the world of online efficiency, user experience models and principles are in many ways the logistic DNA of a site as it relates to its audience. In effect, the result of that blueprint proves to be the signature or fingerprint that separates a simply conducive web site from an engaging, capturing, and truly optimal site that rewards the user, developer, and company in a similarly gratifying manner.

Have you noticed how often people are replacing the term “I looked it up on the internet” with “I Googled it”? Today Google has become one of the world’s most recognised trademarks to the extent where the term ‘Googled’ is referenced in online resources including Dictionary.com as a commonly used verb.

This recognition is largely attributed to the explosive and continuing growth of Google as the World’s most used Search Engine. In January 2009, Nielsen Online Research reported that Google experienced a 40% year on year growth and today holds over 62% of the Global market share.

Google’s mission is “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”

Google aims at creating a better internet experience for the end user and as such are consistently looking at ways to provide their users with the most relevant content.

To achieve this goal, Google follows a series of processes which determine whether your website is contributing towards their mission statement for all types of websites including  custom web design. These processes aim to identify what Google considers to be ‘Good Quality Websites’.

So what does this mean to the average website owner?

To put it simply - as Google continues to expand, website owners must adapt to Google’s philosophies and guidelines. In particular, there are two key factors the search engine considers when adding a website - the first is Quality.

A series of  Quality Guidelines have been developed that determine whether your site will be added to their search engine. By following these guidelines, you are ensuring that your website is complying with Google’s basic principles and provide the end users with a better internet experience.

Some key factors which lessen the quality of your website include:

Content that tricks Search Engines

This includes various forms of ‘Cloaking’ techniques (different content is presented to the search engines than to users) or tricks intended to improve your search rankings. This may include use of hidden text, hidden links and use of duplicate websites designed only for the Search Engines.

Instead, your website should be transparent. In Google’s eyes, the sole purpose of a website is to offer accurate and worthy information to its users.

Link schemes designed to promote your websites ranking

These include schemes designed to manipulate the PageRank such as: linking to ‘Bad Neighbourhoods’ or to web spammers, trading links that bypass PageRanks, the use of excessive reciprocal links and participating in excessive link exchanging.

Instead, ensure that your website only contains relevant and quality links. This can be achieved through the use of unique, relevant and accurate content. The number of links pointing to your website is as equally important as the quality and relevance of those links. The more informative your website is, the more likely other sites of relevance will want to link with you.

Excessive keyword stuffing

Some forms of keyword stuffing may include: Content or hidden text containing lists and paragraphs of keywords or keywords excessively placed throughout the site. Use of irrelevant keywords can be detrimental to your website as it creates a poor user experience and as such is frowned upon by Google.

Becoming an Authority

The second key factor of a ‘Good Quality Website’ is Authority. When applying the techniques mentioned above, combined with quality content you are creating a website that is an Authority within your industry.

With this in mind it is important to use and implement whatever information is available to ensure you are building what is considered to be ‘Quality Content’. The result (in combination with the use of several other factors) is the difference between the search engines embracing you as an authority or ignoring your site.

Any professional web design company should be aware of Google’s Quality Guidelines and be able to explain how these are used within their methodology of building websites. In other words, they must build sites that are ‘Search Engine Friendly’. This will ensure they’re setting up a solid foundation on which your site can be built
upon.

Current trends indicate Search Engines and Directories will continue to develop new technologies and stricter guidelines with the end user in mind. Google leads the way in Search Engines and will continue to do so for some time to come.

By getting the quality component of your websites right, you will not only be on your way to achieving higher sales of your products and services, but also give Google what they want.

The Australian government has acknowledged the importance of students to be equipped with outstanding computing skills to secure their future. Some time ago Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was quoted saying, “I want to turn every secondary school in Australia into a digital school’. Since numerous schemes and stimulus packages have been introduced to support the statement.

As our society accepts technology as an integral part of our everyday lives, it is quite common to hear Gen Y’s and X’s discussing how they or their mates have built their website. But should we be tapping into these evolving skills and asking our mates to build our new business website? The simple answer is … Why Not? - providing your mate can satisfy the following three points once your new site is built:

1. Will your site be easily found on the internet?

2. What proven online sales process will the site use to convert visitors to
sales?

3. How will you update the sites content?

Although most self taught ‘mates’ may have worked out how to build a website, in reality the majority have never considered what makes a website an effective business tool.

Let’s explore these three vital points in detail:

Finding your new website on the internet

There is completely no point in building a website if your customers cannot find it on the internet. Consider the following example:

Brisbane customers interested in purchasing a ‘Gift Basket’ may search for this item by typing ‘Gift Baskets Brisbane’ into Google. They may not even notice when searching for this term, they are presented with 238 thousand responses. This represents the total number of web pages you are competing with for that particular keyword.

Would you expect website to appear on the first few pages if the site wasn’t built with an understanding of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and include incompatible techniques like Frames or only use flash to build a site?

Professional web design firms understand the importance and benefits of SEO. They design websites using proven SEO techniques and can recommend first-class SEO Specialists for ongoing maintenance.

Building a website with a sales process in mind

Most mates don’t take into consideration the importance of an effective sales process and focus on the look and feel of a site rather than its functionality and navigation.

Websites developed to generate online sales must use a proven sales process. They must quickly capture attention (thus preventing the potential customer from clicking away) and lead them through a process that eventuates with a conversion.

A report released by Marketing Sherpa in 2005 estimates, “up to 50 percent of visitors to landing pages will bail in the first eight seconds.”

Updating and maintaining the websites content

Engaging a mate to update and manage your website can be risky business. For example, friendships don’t always last. Sometimes your mates are too busy, too stressed or are simply unavailable to update your website when required.

A professional web design firm should offer its clients the option of a self managed Content Management System; alternatively offer the service of updating and managing the websites content on behalf of the client.

This is a major point for consideration if you are planning on building a site that runs promotions and incentives. If you opt to go with a self managed Content Management System, after only a few minutes of training you can make as many changes as you want, immediately and free of charge.

A professionally designed website does not have to be expensive

Before asking your mate to design your new website, consider the points we mentioned earlier: Will your customers be able to find your website on the internet? Will they be captured by the site and proceed with the transaction?

And finally, will you be able to manage and maintain your website post the design stage?

With the growth of the Internet over the last decade, affordable web design is now a reality. There’s no need to invest tens of thousands of dollars to gain an effective web presence. Answer this? If you were building a new home, would you call your mate around to design and build it for you because he once helped you build a new desk you bought from IKEA? Unless your mate is a qualified architect, plumber, electrician and builder, you may be surprised at the end result.

It is very interesting to note just how quickly the face of the World Wide Web is advancing. We only have to take a look at the past twenty years to realise just how much the internet has impacted our day to day lives and the way we conduct business. This advancement is quite amazing considering that internet only introduced to Australian universities in 1989.

Today, you only have to turn on your television or open a newspaper to notice the Australian government and the communication networks are in a race to create superior quality networks specifically designed to enhance the way we use the web. Likewise, there is a major shift in designs of hardware, software technologies and increased development of eCommerce Design in an attempt to maximize a businesses profits and reduce overheads.

Opportunities for Small Businesses

It is quite clear that today consumers (in particular small business owners) are looking at ways of streamlining their current practices through the use of portable devices such as laptops, mini-notebooks and wireless data devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry. According to the research conducted by Gartner, sales of mini-notebooks in Asia Pacific increased by a massive 82% in 2008 and are predicted to continue through 2010 and 2011.

Hardware limitations of these devices are cleverly substituted though the development of online applications. Some of these include: a wide range of Online Office Suites, virtual meeting rooms such as GoToMeeting, online faxing services such as  faxmate and accounting and invoicing packages such as Freshbooks just to name a few.

The Internet makes business online a reality

The introduction of the 3G Mobile networks and the common use of WiFi technology have recently enabled business owners to alter and streamline the way they conduct business through this new range of online products, allowing them to operate their businesses from just about anywhere.

This major shift is also supported by professional web design firms, in particular through the use of cleverly developed ecommerce sites automating the ordering, dispatching and accounting processes.

Why smart business owners are embracing online applications

Online applications are becoming more frequently used as they offer business owners a large range of benefits including:

• Minimal hardware requirements – all that is required to run online applications is a basic computer, a web browser and a reliable internet connection. Simple and portable devices such as mini-notebooks can now be
  used in place of large and expensive hardware solutions.
• Platform independent – with online applications, users are no longer limited to specific operating systems such as Windows or Mac OS.
• Users can access the applications from any computer that is connected to the internet - there is no need to purchase additional licences. Users can access documents saved on the server from any computer connected to the internet. This can present a massive saving to small businesses with multi licence requirements.
• There is no need to download or install software - all software upgrades are applied to the server. Users will automatically be able to access the updated version of the application net time they log in.
• Documents are stored in a secure online location – this prevents loss of valuable information if the computer experiences hardware failure, is lost or stolen.

The Future of online applications

The only limitation to effectively utilising online applications is access to the internet. This minor hick-up is however diminishing day by day as Telco’s continue rolling out state of the art technologies. As an example Telstra exclusively offer a new range of Next G Data Cards capable of 21 Mbps downlink speeds accessible to 98.8% of Australian population, whilst K-Rudd is well and truly on the way to build a world class high speed broadband network.

Moving forward, it is important for business owners to consider and embrace some of the available solutions emerging today. Online applications are fast becoming part of our day to day lives and most certainly are already affecting the way we conduct business. Just think, the internet only became available to the Australian public 20 years ago.

At our current rate of advancement, what are the potential consequences for those that don’t embrace this type of technology and use it to their advantage?

Most businesses owners are under the impression that in order to stay in touch with current buying trends, they must have a website - they are correct.

According to a report released in 2008 by Internet Measurement Company ‘Nielsen Online’, Australians are spending around 13.7 hours per week surfing the internet in comparison to the 13.3 hours of viewing television.

These figures in conjunction with the massive increase of online purchases have prompted the business world towards more active forms of sales and advertising using the World Wide Web.

As a consequence of this newly developed customer expectation, businesses are rushing in flocks to purchase websites so that they too can keep up with today’s customer demands.

The true purpose of a website

Interestingly though prior to engaging a professional web design company, a large number of businesses don’t take into consideration how this web tool will add to their bottom line. Rather than generating revenue, websites (if developed for wrong reasons) can simply add to companies running operational costs.

Before embarking on a mission to build a site, business owners should take into consideration that websites can serve different purposes and as such, content displayed should vary.

Business sites generally fall into the following three categories:

eCommerce Sites - these sites feature products and services that can be purchased without any form of consultation. Customers can simply browse through the online store and proceed to purchase goods using the available checkout on the site.

Features of effective eCommerce Sites can include:

• Professional looking and legitimate
• Easy and intuitive Navigation
• Simple and free of clutter
• Necessary links to privacy and /or assurance documentation
• Legitimate security payment logos (PayPal, GeoTrust, Security Seals, etc.)
• Simple to locate business contact details
• A fully intact and operational site without broken links, images, spelling and grammatical errors

In a bricks and mortar world, compare this concept to the newly designed self checkouts in stores in Big-W. These stores are designed to easily lead a customer through the sales process and use minimal human interaction. Compare this concept with a site that implements proven concepts of eCommerce design. This type of site will lead a customer along a clearly defined process, answering any concerns or objections along the way, concluding with a transaction.

Image Building Sites – these sites are specifically designed to distribute information. Generally, these types of sites are used by manufacturers – not retailers. Their sole purpose is to educate the greater society on the features and benefits of their products and services. If designed effectively, Information sites contain links to sites of their preferred distributors.

Features of effective Image Sites can include:

• A professional and legitimate look
• Accurate and descriptive information about products and services offered
• Links to preferred distributors

Companies like Coke and Nokia use Image Sites to drive business towards their distributors where the eventual conversion or sale will occur.

Information/ Lead Generation Sites – these sites form a part of the greater sales process. Their sole purpose is to educate clients on the range of products and services on offer and create a link between the website and a consultant.

In December 2008, Nielsen Online released a report showing that 81% of online holiday shoppers read reviews written by others customers when doing their shopping. This highlights the use of the Internet for research when making purchasing decisions. A good Information Site will use this to their advantage and offer topically related, quality information whilst still leading the consumer down a set path toward a physical point of contact and eventual conversion.

Features of effective Information Sites can include:

• Educational and topically related information regarding the company’s products and services
• Clearly visible contact details (e.g. phone number and/or company address)
• Ability to subscribe to regular newsletters
• Contact ‘me’ web forms
• Customer testimonials

Deciding the purpose of Your Website

It is vital to understand the purpose of a new website prior to engaging a web development company. You must consider whether the site will be built to educate potential customers on their range of products and services, generate immediate income in the form of an eCommerce store or determine whether its purpose is to create a lead for eventual conversion.

With a clear understanding of a websites purpose, business owners can incorporate their site to form a larger part of their overall sales process.