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.

Mobile commerce is the new buzz phrase being thrown about by marketing groups and CEO’s these days. Sadly, many of the people using this terminology have no idea what it truly means. With the ever-changing cyberspace of today’s World Wide Web, it’s important for you to know and understand what is happening on these new frontiers. By understanding these ideas, your business can incorporate these new concepts and be assured that you won’t be throwing around meaningless words that ring hollow in boardrooms.

The Emergence of Mobile Commerce

It is important to understand that if you own an eCommerce web design site or are planning to have one built, that you need a ompany that has a keen understanding of mobile commerce. This new form of buying and selling goods and information is considered by many to be the next iteration of the Web. With the advent of high-speed wireless internet, 3G and 4G mobile networks have proven that surfing the web, downloading videos and purchasing goods is not only feasible, but also very desirable among most consumer groups. To put it candidly; if your business does not have a mobile commerce solution, it will probably be left behind by competing businesses that do.

As the speed of content delivery via wireless networks becomes faster and the delivery methods become highly scalable and more secure, mobile commerce will be the de facto method of delivering services and goods to consumers. Mobile banking will become faster and easier than stopping at an ATM or bank. Bill payment will be easier via a smart phone than through the mail, and the delivery of news will be easier than picking up the newspaper at the local vendor or even watching television.

The Advent of Mobile Marketing via "Apps"

Mobile devices, such as iPhones and BlackBerries, are being offered to consumers, both young and old, as a highly secure way to do business. Marketing techniques involving “apps” that are offered by businesses are engaging customers and increasing the probability that an item or a service will be purchased over a mobile device. Your custom ecommerce website design site needs to be ready for this method of doing business. There are many things that need to be considered when an e-commerce design is implemented or upgraded on your site. Mobile commerce should be high on the list of those considerations.

Work With Trusted Leaders in Web Site Development

If your business is considering developing or upgrading a Web site, m-commerce should be central to its implementation. With that in mind, it’s important to work with a web development company that can effectively manage every aspect of the development. Your web company should be able to guide your business in the proper direction when it comes to the creation of your site. This should include all facets of the design, shopping cart and functionality of the site as well as the hosting and maintenance. A company that can provide this service will not only allow you to sleep easy at night knowing that your site is functioning properly, but will also be able to provide solid advice for future growth, especially in the area of new and emerging technologies.

Adapt and Grow

Mobile commerce isn’t the newest concept in the area of goods and services purchasing. It is, however, one of the fastest growing and is widely accepted as “the next big thing.” This does not mean that it will be the only thing that your business must adapt to. There will be new and better technological advances that will help to enhance your business. The key is having a team of designers and developers who understand this and can deliver the best products and services that will suit all of your web needs. Understanding this is one of the most important aspects of growing your e-commerce business to its fullest potential.

Lately, the catch phrases and buzzwords in the ecommerce design and custom web design world centre on search engine optimisation and social media optimisation. Self-proclaimed experts lurk within the ether and are perfectly willing to give advice on how your Web site can be ranked higher than the competition by using their foolproof SEO and SMO techniques. Of course, all of this is for a price.

Different SEO and SMO techniques are valid, but there is no magic bullet that will catapult your Web site into the heavens. Frankly, it requires dedication and work, but the results will be well worth the effort. Following are some social media implementation techniques that will help raise the visibility of your Web site among your target audience.

Links Generate Higher Search Engine Rankings

Within your e-commerce website you should be creating links to and from different pages within your own site and also linking to relevant content outside of your site. One of the most important aspects of link generation is using social networks to create linkbacks. Facebook, Digg, Twitter, mySpace and other sites are a perfect venue for placing your links within a group that you’ve created. Another way to generate links is to ask different Web site owners that have similar content on their sites to link back to your site when you link to theirs.

Tagging and Bookmarking

One of the easiest ways to generate new and return traffic to your custom designed website is through the use of highly visible tag or bookmark buttons. Within your site, make sure that all content has a very visible tag button or bookmark button. At the end of articles or content pages, be sure to encourage your audience to bookmark your material. Social media sites pick up on these tags and bookmarks and generate tag clouds of meta-data and content from your site that users can click on.

Be Involved and Interact With Your Audience

Discussion boards, wikis, Facebook and mySpace groups are all excellent ways to engage your target audience. By continually interacting with your users, you’ll ensure that they are up to date on your site’s latest content and at the same time generate buzz about your site.

Reward Your Users

Everyone likes a bit of recognition now and then. Whenever someone visits your site and leaves a message or a helpful bit of information on your discussion board or wiki, be sure to thank that person for their effort and knowledge. By doing this, they’ll be sure to return and contribute to your site.

Understand Target Audience Demographics

This seems pretty basic. It’s one of the most important aspects of any marketing campaign, yet so many people who are building ecommerce and social media sites overlook it. MySpace users are generally teens and early twenty-something’s. If your product or service is targeted at an audience that is over thirty, it’s probably a waste of time to advertise or form a group on MySpace. By understanding who your target audience is, you can implement a strategy that incorporates the social media outlets that are most suited for your business.

Content is Still King

One of the final keys to implementing a social media strategy is remembering that your Web site’s content needs to be current, relevant and interesting. It’s up to you to make sure that you’re keeping your content updated. Also keep in mind that today’s world is about up-to-the-second information. If your Web site has content that is outdated and irrelevant, you can utilise social media to try
and find users until you’re blue in the face. However, it won’t work. People realise very quickly when a Web site doesn’t live up to its own advertising.

Following these principals requires a certain amount of discipline and hard work, but the benefits of applying them are undeniable. Social media can be a powerful ally in your quest to generate new and return Web traffic.

Companies requiring basic websites or custom web design solutions have quickly learned the importance for their Web sites to have social media marketing capabilities. One need look no further than the explosive growth of social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to recognise the potential for marketing that lies within this emerging area of technology. The question, however, which is on the tip of every business owner’s tongue is, “What are the benefits of a social media strategy?”

The Benefits

Individually Targeted Advertising - When you purchase advertising on a social media site such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter, you’re not just purchasing a standard pay-per-click advertisement that no one will ever look at. Social media sites special in that the users of these sites entrust their personal information to the databases that sit behind the sites. What this means for you is that your advertisement is matched up with the key words that each user places within their profile. For instance, if a user is male and has a birth date of 1971, ads that are specific to his gender and age group will be placed on his profile each and every time he logs in. In terms of targeted marketing, this is an incredibly powerful tool because the ads that appear on an individual’s profile page are specifically relevant to that person.

Word-of-Mouth - Another benefit of advertising on a social media site is word-of-mouth advertising from the people ordering and using your products. In March of 2009 the average number of friends per Facebook user was 120. Consider that users post their likes and dislikes to their profile on a daily basis. If they’re posting about your product and how amazing it is, there are potentially 120 pairs of eyes that see the virtues of your product. When you take into account that 120 pairs of eyes look at each of the original 120, you can see that the numbers begin to grow exponentially. Another component to the idea of word-of-mouth advertising is the amount of social influence that some people have within their network of friends. Those who have deep influence on their peers can have a tremendous effect upon the popularity of your product or service.

Web Traffic, Brand Awareness and Global Reach - The final three benefits to you as an advertiser on a social media site are increases to your web traffic, growth in your brand awareness and broad customer reach. The first point is that when you have a web advertisement that is matched up to an individual person’s profile, that person will be more likely to actually click on your ad. Positive brand awareness is based on the quality of your product plus the word-of-mouth advertising you’ll receive. When users of social networks like your products they’ll talk about them. Remember, they’re broadcasting, on average, to a group of 120 people or more when they do this. Finally, a basic issue that many people forget is that the web is a global phenomenon. You will reach more people through social media than you could ever reach through other standard forms of advertising and because of the individually targeted nature of the advertising these ads are more likely to work.

Advertising within the context of a social media Web site is more than just a pay-per-click issue. Your Web site, which you’ve so carefully crafted with its amazing ecommerce design, quality user interface and relevant content will sit out on the Internet and pull in a few visitors now and then. However, if you choose to harness the power of advertising within a social network, you’ll find that the return on investment will be greater than you could have ever imagined. So much so, that you’ll find yourself laughing all the way to the bank.

One of the most important aspects in the development of a Web site is the long-term care and maintenance associated with it. There are many options available to businesses that either have an existing site or are in the process of having a custom web design built by a professional web design firm.

Some of these options however, do not always ensure the long-term viability and integrity of your site. It is of the utmost importance to remember that your Web site is a 24-hour per day, 7-day per week advertisement available to millions of viewers around the globe. It is for this reason that you should ensure that your site is hosted by professionals who not only understand how your site functions, but who can also provide the maximum amount of guaranteed uptime of their servers and long-term support of your site.

Familiarity Breeds Benefits

Many people have heard the old saying that familiarity breeds contempt. However, in the world of web development, this is certainly not the case. In fact, it is incredibly important for a hosting company to be intimately familiar with the design of your Web site, its content management system and the associated functions. This is why it is essential that you consider having your site hosted by the company that provides the design and development.

If your ecommerce design company is familiar with your site, they can ensure that the hosting platform is sufficient and any required updates that you need can be handled quickly and efficiently. You might be thinking that you can get what you need from any number of companies out there that offer cheap hosting plans. Please keep in mind that you get what you pay for.

In most cases, companies that offer the so-called “benefits” of a $5 per month hosting plan will not be responsible for any updates to your site. The general assumption is that you are going to take care of any updates or fixes that are necessary. In short, they offer only a basic hosting platform, which may or may not be able to support a small Web site effectively.

These low-pay plans also offer no real help in maintaining your site. If you have to add in a designer and programmer along with your hosting plan, you’ve added three points of contact, three potential areas for mistakes and more than three times the cost. If you’re using the same company that helped you develop your site in the first place, you’ll receive the benefit of one point of contact and less opportunity for errors to occur.

But I can save money with entry level hosting plans…

On the surface, these entry level hosting plans appear to be a cheap alternative to using a full-service hosting company. When you investigate further than the price, though, you may find that this isn’t really the case. With a full service hosting plan through a reputable company, the first thing you receive is experience. Providing long-term care for your Web site requires the knowledge that only years of development experience can provide. Using a full service company also provides you with designers who know the structure of your Web site - this alone is invaluable. For instance, if you try calling up an entry level only hosting service and asking them to update a particular area of your site you may run into strive as most likely they will not even have a listed contact number.

This leads us to the third point: support. Companies providing entry level hosting services generally do not offer any form of customer support. When you add in the time and money it takes to hire a designer to update your site and provide maintenance and support, your entry level monthly hosting plan has just turned into a much higher priced service. The bottom line is that working with a web development and hosting service providing one point of contact may have initial costs that are a bit higher, but over time, those costs are defrayed by the high level of service and experience that you just can’t find in the pay-by-the-month plans.

Imagine being able to access all of your applications and all of your documents regardless of whether you’re at your desk, at home or on your mobile device. What if you never have to worry about maintaining your own network or hardware? This is the reality of cloud computing.

By definition, cloud computing is a way of providing software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure and hardware as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS), either individually or in different combinations. The basis of cloud computing is that all of these services are offered via a network connection to a server or servers within the “cloud” of the Internet using some type of networked appliance.

Why Use Cloud Computing?

Whether you’re an individual or a small or large business, cloud computing offers a reliable, low-maintenance way to provide a scalable solution for on-demand services at a fraction of the cost of having licensed locally installed copies of software, IT infrastructure and hardware that quickly becomes outdated. Cloud computing also eliminates the need for a large staff of IT personnel and it also allows you, as a business owner, to decide which services you actually need and which you don’t.

Using infrastructure as a service provides limitless server capacity available on a pay-as-you-use basis or on a monthly payment structure. Having this storage capability makes it easy for businesses to store all of their integral information in a secure, centralised area without worrying about costly upgrades. The software as a service model in cloud computing allows individuals or businesses to use only the software they need, on an as-needed basis while upgrades are taken care of by the service provider. Finally, platform as a service offers a software development environment that is not restricted to a localised area. This means that software and upgrades being developed within a cloud computing platform can be delivered to consumers faster and easier.

Will Cloud Computing Work for Me?

Regardless of what type of business you operate, if you rely on an IT services that always has a need for increased capacity, continued software upgrades or constant hardware and software maintenance, it’s easy to recognise the advantages of cloud computing. The question that should be asked is, “What business wouldn’t benefit from having unlimited infrastructure, consistent software upgrades or a world wide platform for delivering its products?” The most important aspect of cloud computing is that it allows you to run your business the way you need to run it without constantly roadblocks such as downtime, continuous upgrades and outdated equipment.

Unlimited Access

From a practical standpoint, cloud computing offers freedom from the desk or office and access from a huge selection of portable devices such as netbooks, laptops and web-enabled mobile devices. How often does this scenario happen? Your team is on the road pitching a client and at the last minute you realise that you’ve left an important part of your presentation sitting back at your office on your desktop computer. The presentation doesn’t go well and your potential client shows you the door. If your business had been using infrastructure as a service, that integral piece of your presentation would have been accessible to your laptop or mobile phone and you wouldn’t have missed a single beat.

A Solid Customisable Solution

Cloud computing is a solution that can be scaled directly to the size of your business. It eliminates software licensing costs, downtime, obsolete software and equipment and the possibility of losing the documents and information that are important to the success of your business. Ultimately, one of the most beneficial aspects of cloud computing is its cost-effectiveness when compared to other localised solutions.

The movement toward this model will continue and successful businesses will reap the benefits of this new shift. When it comes right down to it, businesses not using cloud computing will find it much harder to succeed.

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.