| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
5 Ways to Give Your Web Site a Big-Company Look and Feel
We all DO judge a book by its cover, and the same saying goes for Web sites. I've seen many entrepreneurs offer great information on their Web pages, but compromise their image dramatically with a few amateur mistakes that can be VERY unforgiving. If you want to attract high quality clients and customers, and convey that you're a legitimate, credible, and sought-after business, these five points are a great launching pad to give your site that "big company" look and feel. 1. Start with a high-quality LOGO. The one your kid created for you doesn't count! I'm talking about paying a designer to do one for you, and it doesn't have to cost in the thousands. If you don't have much of a budget, consider the following options: For my E-zine Queen site, I used an online logo service called "1800MyLogo" (http://www.mylogo.com). At the time they charged only $199 to design a professional logo based on my business, style, and personal preferences. The whole process only took about two weeks and was conducted entirely over the Web. (To see the final result, take a quick peek at Ezine Queen (http://www.ezinequeen.com.) I've also heard good things about GotLogos.com, where you can get a quick Web site logo for only $25! 2. Get your own business DOMAIN NAME. It's just a fact that folks will feel safer shopping at a site with its own domain name. For example, if you were shopping online for a circular saw, would you be more likely to purchase from a hardware site called "...bobshardware.com" or the one whose URL is "...geocities.com/3339/bobshardware'? (This is a fictional example, by the way.) Having your own domain name implies you're a "real" company, and not Uncle Bob working in his kitchen at night (even though you my very well be ; )). There are several places to buy domain names at good prices, but one of my favorites is WebLaunching.net (http://www.weblaunching.net). (Only $12 per year.) 3. Get (and use) a business E-MAIL ADDRESS. Nothing screams "amateur" like sending out professional e-mail from a handle like "fuzzybear4u@hotmail.com." Once you get a domain name for your Web site, have your hosting company set up a professional e-mail *alias* for you. Let's go back to Bob, for example. Suppose Bob's e-mail has always been "BobSmith000002@earthlink.net." Now that he has his own domain name, he can instead use "bob@bobshardware.com". He still KEEPS his Earthlink address, because that's where he'll actually receive his mail. But he should only GIVE OUT the new one on his Web site, business cards, etc. If you use Outlook or a similar e-mail program, you can set it up so that your e-mails ONLY show your e-mail alias and your personal e-mail address. (To do this in Outlook, go under the "Tools" menu. Then choose "Accounts." Then select the account you use, and click "Properties." Enter your e-mail alias in both the "e-mail" and "reply address" fields.) 4. Get a professional-looking Web site DESIGN. This can mean either hiring a designer to do a custom site for you, OR designing it yourself. Unless you're both trained extensively in HTML and have a background in design, it's well worth the money to hire someone. Find prospective designers who work with small businesses, ask to see samples of their work, and be upfront about your budget. If their rates are higher than you can afford, ask them if they have any pre-designed Web site templates they can just insert your information in, cutting down tremendously on design time and cost. Whatever design you choose, make it CONSISTENT on every page of your site, by using the same design elements such as borders, fonts, and colors. If your budget is next to nil and you'd like to choose from a variety of templates that you can customize, check out Ken Evoy's new "Site Build It"! This innovative tool lets you create your own site very easily, and it has some of the most professional-looking templates I've seen. The affordable package (less than $350 USD) also includes hosting, a list service, and more. (http://www.sitesell.com/websellsecrets.html) 5. Tell us WHO YOU ARE and HOW TO REACH YOU. Most of us (and rightfully so) are leery of purchasing online from a company we've never heard of before. To alleviate our fears, put contact information on every page if you can, with a physical mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. If you're uncomfortable posting your home address, lease a box around the corner and use that address. Avoid using "P.O. box" in your address if possible, which can appear suspicious. Real companies have real addresses! Also, get a *Toll-free* number if you can - it says "big company" and "customer service." I got mine from my long distance provider, 1Com (http://www.1cominc.com), because they charge no setup fee or monthly fees - I only pay for the incoming calls at my usual great long distance rates. (c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
RealEstateMarketing.net Offers Industry Marketing Experts Free eBooks - RisMedia.com (press release)
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Promotional Products As a promotions director for a lot of super markets, one of my key responsibilities was finding promotional products for the events we make. I worked with distributors to order, design and customize these items to promote the super markets image to the general public. John Kerry, Amazing Direct-Marketer! If you want to uncover a little secret about how John Kerry and the Democratic party is "building their e-mail list", with literally thousands of qualified leads.. How Nearly Going Broke Taught Me The Value Of Niche Marketing If you want to learn how effective Niche Marketing can be, I suggest you "don't" take the route I did.Back in 1983 I started a company offering general Electronics Subcontract Assembly services to just about anyone who made Electronic products. 13 Lessons in Marketing, Super Bowl Style Each year, the Super Bowl provides marketers opportunity to study and learn from the games' advertisers, players, and coordinators. Super Bowl XXXVI (February, 2002) was no exception. Marketing Lessons from Santa If a nonexistent man can change the world and millions of people with a message of joy then his marketing plan surely works. Right? Then what has Santa been doing right all these years that we can learn from? Santa's message is short--joy. Using a Contact List Profitably Part One In previous articles, we discussed the generation of a contact list. This time, we look at one idea on what to do with that list once you have it. Why Your Sales Copy Should Be Written As If It Will Never Be Read At All! What is enthusiasm?Well, consulting good ol' Mr. Webster, you could stake a claim that enthusiasm is "an absorbing possession of the mind by an interest, study, or pursuit; [an] ardent interest. Building Skills in Information Marketing will Boost Your Business Yesterday I was sitting on a train going into London when I thought I'd take a look around the carriage just to see what everyone was doing. I wanted to make a mental note because my five year old son always asks me 'what happened at your work today Daddy?' So I put my newspaper down and took a look around me. Using a Marketing Calendar Template Owning a small business isn't easy, especially if you are running it alone. Between moving products, taking orders, paying bills, and taking care of family, it is easy to lose track of everything you need to do. The Marketing Recipe: Money, Marketing and Me - 3 Keys For Success You have a great product or service? Now, how should you market it?You have to make others know about what you have to offer. There is no good in having a great idea if you don't know how to sell it, right?Your motivation is financial independence (MONEY); you establish a quality product (your service), and you go out into the harsh competitive world and sell it (MARKETING) while you also sell yourself (ME)!Here are a few tips and a real example which you should keep in mind in order to prospect. 50 Benefits Of Joint Venture Marketing What Is A Joint Venture?A joint venture is an agreement in which two or more businesses work on a project for a set period of time.Joint ventures can be long-term, like promoting a product together, or some can be short-term, like bartering (trading) products and services. Business Promotional Items - How to Stimulate Word of Mouth Advertising If the promotional items you give out end up in the attic or shoved in the back of a desk drawer, they are probably not doing what they are supposed to be doing. However, if items you passed out to clients and customers are being seen again and again, chances are, word-of-mouth advertising is stimulating your business. Top 10 Benefits of Hiring a Marketing Writer to Write Your Marketing Materials 1. It costs less to delegate to a professional than to waste your valuable time trying to do it yourself. Promotional Bags: Your Company Details on Parade The trick to a good promotion is to attach your company details to something useful. Now, there is "private useful" like the promotional toothbrush you use in the privacy of your own bathroom, and there is "public useful" that you use out there where everyone sees you inadvertently parading the promotion. Take My Commitment (to Your Biz) Quiz! Starting and managing a successful small business takes time, energy, money and a HUGE commitment. But the payoff can also be HUGE, in terms of personal accomplishment, satisfaction, happiness, and M0NEY! So just how committed are you?Here's 10 questions to help you find out:(1) Have you taken the time to create a business plan?A business plan ensures you have a well-thought-out plan for your business. Basic Brand Building A brand is the essence of who you are. The more powerful the brand the more memorable you will become. Networking, iNetworking, What Is The First Rule? Networking on the Internet is the same as networking in person, or is it? Let's take a conversational tour together on this topic.At an in-person networking event you wouldn't just attend not to network. The Power of a Survey How many times have you been asked to participate in a survey? If you are anything like me then the answer is probably hundreds. I am often being stopped in the street and invited to take part in a survey that will only take a few minutes. Creating Your Future with a Marketing Plan Almost everyone who dreams of starting their own business is familiar with the fact that they should create a business plan. However, often that's where many people stop. Use The Neglected Weapons In Your Marketing Arsenal Business marketers have a lot of weapons in their arsenals but they often overlook some very important ones. So, let's do a quick inventory.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
