Keeping It Simple Yo.....

Keeping it simple. There are a lot of websites out there. Some are very complex and serve a certain purpose and some are very simple and serve their own purposes.

There are times when having a huge, complex website is a good thing. Some large companies have so much to say and provide for their intended audience that their sites must out of necessity be large and complex. They want to have everything on their website to serve their potential customers. Even though this is a good thing, these sites can be cumbersome and hard to navigate sometimes.

Most people just want to get on a site, find what they need and then get off. In these days of wanting everything now and wanting them fast, we must, as webmasters, take into account how the consumer uses these websites. I find myself researching things on the web and am amazed at how long it takes to accomplish this simple task.

I was looking into base layers the other day (something I can wear when it's cold and when I'm hiking) and by the time I was done, 2 hours had passed. I couldn't believe how long it took just to look into which type of base layer was the best and why. How much they cost and was the price of the higher end base layers worth the additional money or should I just go with a mid grade base layer and save the money. So many things to consider. My preference would have been to find out all these things is less than 2 hours. Maybe something like 10 minutes would have been nice.

So the question arises. Why would it take so long for such a small task? I found websites that I thought would give me information that I was looking for but found that they didn't really help me. It took me a while to find the correct website that gave me the answers I was looking for. This is what Google is striving for. To present relevant websites to people that are searching for certain things. So that they don't have to take 2 hours to find everything they want on the web.

So one of our strategies here at LMS Website Services is to keep it simple. Most of the websites we build are simple and to the point. Presenting the critical information to the consumer while resisting the urge to complicate things with a lot of worthless content.

Remember, most people don't want to spend 2 hours on the Internet looking for what they want. They want to get on, find what they want and get off. So a simple, beautifully made and presented website has value to the customer and to Google. Don't forget, we have to please the customer and Google at the same time. After all, the customers won't find you if Google doesn't present you to them.

In summary, you should have a website that is simple enough so the customer can easily find what they want in a timely fashion. It should look great (simple doesn't mean it looks cheap or skimpy). The consumer will judge you and your company by the presentation of your website. Remember, your website is an extension of you. It represents you. It's the first impression a potential customer has of you (and we know what they say about first impressions). Your website should also present to Google what you are all about so they can present "you" via your website to your potential customers. Your homepage should have your company name and phone number in a prominent spot which is easily found by the customer. It should have the basics of what you do so the customer will know quickly whether you can be of service to them or not. If yes then they will normally continue to peruse your site for all of the pertinent information that they require.

The end result will be a call to you to inquire about your services and how you can be of help to them in their particular situation. And that's all good.....

Nuff said for now, eh?

Jeffrey Dean
LMS Website Services
http://www.lmswebsiteservices.com

Some Reasons for Having a Website.....

So what are the reasons you should have a website if you own your own business. Well there are plenty of good sound reasons to have a website so let's just name a few, eh?

1. You can have a website for marketing reasons. If you've ever paid for print advertising or yellow page ads then you know how expensive those types of marketing can be. They run into the thousands of dollars and once the ad is gone, it's gone. Now on your website, you can create an ad for a fraction of what the print ads will cost (and I mean a fraction). And once you've created a marketing page on your site, you can leave it there forever if you want to. It'll never "be gone" unless you want it to go away. For that matter, once a page is made, you can put it up on your site, then take it down and put it up again at a later date. It'll always be there (whether it's live on your website or not). It's not like print ads where they're here today and gone tomorrow (which means you have to get more bang for your buck while the print ad is running because like I said before, once it's gone, it's gone). And so is the money spent on the ad. So let's hope you got your money's worth with that print ad. Whereas the website ad will continue to draw customers for you for as long as you want it showing on your web site. Now that is a great value!

2. A website will not only draw you new customers but it will also substantiate your business. Lots of people won't use a business that doesn't have a website. They feel like: no website then the business maybe isn't legitimate or maybe a fly by night company. They just feel that if you have a website then maybe you'll be around for a while. They feel like the website is a permanent structure and makes you trustworthy to deal with. Trust me, this is how customers think. So having a website for your business is essential in most cases.

3. You can use your website to inform people and customers of what you have going on. Maybe you have a sale on a certain product that your supplier is closing out. Maybe they have a couple of water heaters they are closing out cheap. You can use your website to announce this "great deal" that you have and you just may find a customer that is looking for just what you have to offer. Somebody that would never have found you otherwise. Or you are offering a limited time deal on some sort of service. Like maybe offering furnace checkups at a discounted price in the fall. You know people are looking to get this done before the cold weather sets in and they will be looking (online of course) for deals on this service. They may as well find you (unless you don't have a website of course......) because then they won't find you!

4. Another reason for having a website is to let potential customers know about you and your services. Letting them know your hours of operation and if you have a store then letting them know how to get to your location. This is a place that you can let customers know how long you've been in business. You can put testimonials on your site letting customers know just how great you really are.

I can go on and on about why having a website is not only essential to any business in the 21st century but is cost effective, informational and another way for customers to get a hold of you. What are you waiting for?????

Nuff said.......

Jeffrey Dean
LMS Website Services
http://www.lmswebsiteservices.com