A poor website can do more harm than good to a small business’s success and creditability, firms are being warned.
“There’s a massive amount of opportunity on the internet, but you need but you need to go out and get it,” said Tim Kimber, UK product manager of Microsoft’s Office Live.
“There are thousands of companies online and you need to stand out as best you can.
“If you’re going to make the move online it’s important to make the most of this opportunity and ensure that you’re giving the right messages to your potential customers – a poor web site can do almost as much damage as a good one will benefit your business.”
Kimber and his colleagues have offered the following tips to make sure small businesses make the most of their online presence.
Keeping the website simple is crucial, according to Office Live. The site’s design should avoid being too busy or complicated, and the navigation system should be simple and easy to use.
The front page must be able to tell the customer what the business does within two or three seconds. Images should be considered carefully, and the benefits of the product or service should be summarised in a few short sentences.
The website should be updated regularly to generate repeat traffic, so months of stagnant content should be avoided. If this is not possible, then avoid including time sensitive information on the site.
Some basic market research should be done, such as search engine optimisation. Depending on how important the site is to your business’s success you might want to invest in hiring some professional help.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
