The Green Apple Blog

The web is all about sharing information. The things you received for free you should spread for free. This excellent web statistics package falls in that category. 

Some time ago, Google bought Urchin web analytics software. It allowed you to track number of visitors, from what search engines and keywords, and so much more. From what I understand, Urchin used to cost upwards of $500/mo. Google aquires it, improves it, and releases it for free. It is a snap to install on any website, not taking any more than 15 minutes for your webmaster to put on there.

Learn more about Google Analytics here.

People expect websites to be updated. That’s the great thing about the web, it’s dynamic and constantly changing. Unfortunately most business websites are treated like the classic company brochure - work on it once and it’s finished.
Here are five common mistakes that you need to make sure are not happening on your site:

1. Your copyright at the bottom of your website doesn’t reflect the current year.
2. You have a latest news section that hasn’t been updated in months. Either remove it or start updating it. This takes away your credibility.
3. Your portfolio/project/clients section on your website has projects in it, but the dates of the projects are very old. Either update your portfolio or keep the projects in there but remove the dates.
4. Your service or product offerings on your website are out of synch with your business.
5. Your about us page is out of date, with employees that shouldn’t be on there and new recently hired employees that should.

Advertising is undergoing a paradigm shift. It used to be “yell louder, harder, and more” and you’ll get the consumer’s attention. We are all familiar with car dealerships illustrating this principle. However, today people want information where they want (blackberry, internet, on demand tv) and when they want it. Scream louder and they will simply turn you off. Marketing guru Seth Godin argues that businesses can no longer rely solely on traditional forms of “interruption advertising” in magazines, mailings, or radio and television commercials. He quotes this direct mail executive who states:

“Advertisers are going to have to learn how to deliver messages with frequency and low cost if they are to cope with the increasing competition for the consumer’s attention.”

–Lester Wunderman, Chairman-Emeritus of Wunderman Cato Johnson, the largest direct-marketing firm in the world

How can the web can play a key role in this new marketing paradigm? Your website is the perfect medium to broadcast frequent messages with a minimal amount of time and effort (as compared to creating a print campaign or television broadcast). One key strategy is to become an information resource for your field. For example, Medisolare - a non surgical cosmetic center, seeks to become an authority on this subject posting articles, tips, and expertise on this new and emerging field.

What tool can help you post frequent and easy messages to your consumer base? A blog is the best place to start. Wordpress.com, Blogger, and Typepad are great places to start. You don’t even have to own a domain name to get started.

How Can You Drive Visitors to Your Site? Post your website URL everywhere, and we mean everywhere… Start with your business cards, marketing collateral, professional organizations and more. Reach out and get others to link back to your site… maybe a mortgage broker recommends you as a realtor. Your networking and professional organizations can have websites that will link back to yours as well. Have people in your office setup a profile on linkedin.com or myspace.com

Paying for Eyeballs Small costs can return big dividends… try pay per click (PPC) advertising with Yahoo, MSN, or Google. Pay to register in directories and other places (yellow pages, google maps, etc…)

Track Your Stats You need to know what’s working, so make sure your web host has statistics you can review or try the Google Analytics.
Examples

Foster community on your site. If you are contractor matchmaker like Donna Bavier, let customers post reviews of their experiences - and don’t filter out the negative ones.

If you are a salon, explain the latest in hair styles by showing before and after and walking the customer through the experience.

Edit a video clip of your salon experience and post it on you tube.

The basic case for a having a website is simple. It’s a cost effective way to have information about your business available to the world 24 hours a day; however, website design costs can vary from just a small monthly hosting fee to 10s of thousands of dollars. So how much should you pay for your company’s website? What kind of approaches work best? Read on to find out…

1. Do It Yourself Cost: Little cash to spend, many hours of your time to burn.
   Advantages: You’re good with technology, right? You’ve dabbled in Dreamweaver or Frontpage… and there website templates to start from. So you should be able to pull of a site pretty easily, right? If you are somewhat nimble with FTP, domain names, DNS servers, CSS, and HTML you can get a web presence up within 12-20 hours.
   Disadvantages: Normally looks like your first website (because it is). The reality for most business owners is akin to developing your first marketing campaign from a Microsoft Word Template. It really looks the part and screams “we are an amateur business”.
2. Use a Website Builder Tool
   Cost: $0 to a $200 setup fee up-front. $10-$80 monthly hosting fees thereafter.
   Advantages: If you choose the right company you can actually go through the website builder wizard and come out with something that looks professional and you normally get email hosting as well. You have control to build and create pages on the fly and don’t have to worry about the underlying technology.
   Disadvantages: Your site may look very cookie-cutter and will not look original. Even with good tools at your fingertips, you will find limitations and difficulty getting the layout like you want (after all, you probably don’t have a design background). Finally, if you ever want to move outside of the website builder wizard to do search engine optimization or do some advanced layout you are out of luck. You can only use the website builder wizard to make changes.
   
   
3. Higher a Freelancer
   Cost: $300 - low thousands
   Advantages: A qualified freelancer has all the tools a big design agency has without any of the overhead. Depending on the experience of the person you hire, you can get great results at a deeply discounted price.
   Disadvantages: What are your chances of finding a highly competent freelancer? Pretty slim. Usually it ends up being your brother’s neighbor’s son or some strange connection. Yes, they usually have some skills, but from a business perspective that would be like going to a well off family member for your banking needs, sure they have money… but banking is about much more than money.
4. Higher a Web Design Firm
   Cost: Low $1000s and up
   Advantages: Your company and brand are unique. Allowing people who build websites for a living to build your site makes good business sense. There are plenty of firms to choose from and they should have dozens of sites under their belt.
   Disadvantages: Sometimes working with a web design firm is like trying to find the right roofing company to shingle your house. The quality, cost, and service can vary greatly - so buyer beware. Avoid this by finding out what firms did some of the websites you like and getting referred. Check references and ask a lot of questions. Building a compelling, original website for your business is an intimate process. Finding a group with the right synergy and compliment to your business is the ticket to online success.

Create Web Studios is a small startup in Jacksonville, Florida that offers a wide range of website services at competitive prices. Jeff Venn, founder of Create Web Studios, would be glad to entertain any questions you may have - even if Create doesn’t land a job!