Web Site Development
Web Site Development
"Thanks for all your help with our website and your
suggestions. We get so many comments on our web site.
Web reservations are going great. Your other marketing
advice is working well too!"
Thanks
-Kathy, Innkeeper
Inn at The Rostay, Bethel, Maine
1) Register your domain name
YOURDOMAIN.COM - If you are simply a
sub-directory of another site your site will not be
taken seriously. Further, with your own name you
have ownership of the name and can move it to
another ISP or even take it "in house" later on if
you choose. And your own name will help with search
engines. Warning: Do not do this yourself unless you
know which of the dozens of companies to register
with. Signing yourself through the wrong company
could lock you into a long-term hosting contract (it is in the fine print you did not
read) that may have dozens of add-ons (you do not
really think that the cost is really $2.99 per year
did you?) and most dangerous of all they
may retain ownership of the domain. Besides – a good marketing company will help
you find and select the best marketing name (we know the
tricks), a name that could generate thousands in
extra revenue for you. Know your
domain
name registration rights.
2) Hire a professional web developer
Some may ask; why should I spend the money to have a
professional develop my web site? I have a computer,
why can't I do it myself? You probably have a hammer
and saw in your garage too but would you try to
build your own house or would you hire a
professional contractor. Keeping up with the rapid
changes of Digital Media (aka website) marketing is a full time job.
Others wonder why one designer is quoting $2,000 for
a site while others are quoting $20,000. Remember, you
usually (but not always) get what you pay for. Find
an expert and use their expertise. Concentrate your
efforts on running your business or handling your
professional responsibilities.
3) ISP Internet Service Provider
Now that your site is developed, you need to house
your site so people can access it. A word of
caution, not all ISP's are equal. You want an ISP
with quality equipment and back up systems
(redundancy),
excellent access, good service (these are
computers - they are not perfect), solid
reporting capabilities. You want easy email access
when on the road and from your home computer. IMS-21 can and will handle
this for you.
4) Search Engines & Directories
You will want your site to be readily found by the
search engines. This is a job in itself that far too
many web developers ignore at your peril. You must
have a site designed that will work well for the
key word phrase searches you need to be found under. This
involves understanding how the both consumers and the
search engines work. Knowing about keyword and
keyword phrase rich copy and terms, html tags, title
tags, meta descriptions, meta keywords (almost
insignificant these days but every little bit helps),
robot.txt files, 301 redirects, anchor name rich
links, cross links, file names, image tags, inbound
links, your basic text
and a half dozen other tricks IMS-21 will make sure
you get right.
5) Paid and free links
You need people to find your site, so you will want
your site linked from as many places as possible.
Some places, like the state and local chamber, offer free
links, or for a small fee - you simply have to ask
for it! Other sites sell links in their effective
on-line directories, some are very worthwhile,
most are not. We have been purchasing and tracking
links for years now. We know which ones will work,
and which ones will not. Maine Hotel Tip... these
sites are the best
Maine Hotel Lodging Directory Sites in Maine and
Southern Maine.
6) Keep it current
Be sure you have a professional Internet presence
and that all information on the site is always up to
date and current. There is nothing worse than a
dated site.
7) Social Media Marketing
You will want to have your developer set up a Blog
for you and and spend time on the Internet being
sure you are linked from the hundreds of social
networking sites. You need to be sure you have a
Google+ and
Facebook Page at least and keep them current.
You will want to consider a YouTube account, Twitter
account, Pintrest page, Flickr page and more.
8) Don't forget what got you here
You must market your web site and actively monitor
your results with great web tracking. But be sure to market your web
site in all that you do! Business cards, letterhead,
envelopes, signs, everything. As much as 50% of many Maine
Hospitality Web Site visits come from someone typing
in the name directly. This means they saw it in
print somewhere first.
The above information was prepared by Greg Burke of
IMS-21 (Integrated Marketing and Sales for the 21st
Century. For additional information on web marketing
or how to implement the above eight critical steps,
call us at 207-468-5959 (in case you have not
figured it out yet - this should have been your
first step).
What Makes A Person Want To Come Back To Your Site?
According to one highly regarded online information
company:
The ratings were based from 0 to 100% with the
higher the percentage, the more important the issue.
Ease of Use/Navigation: 74%
Fast Download Time: 65%
Regularly Updated Information: 58%
Quality of Content: 57%
Organization of Content: 40%
Access to Customer Service: 40%
Quantity of Content: 30%
Search Engine at the Site: 25%
Front Page Layout: 20%
Fun: 19%
Look And Feel Of The Site: 18%
Inclusion Of Animated Graphics: 9%
Interestingly, if your site is an online store, then
the two most important factors to your visitors are:
Easy Order Processing: 68%
Security Procedures: 65%