Web Guidelines For Small Business Owners

I’m a little scared about putting that heading on an article online. You can sometimes open up a very big can of worms the moment you start talking about this sort of stuff… but oh well, here goes!

A non-definitive list of some of the things small business owners should consider talking to their “web guy” about their web site…

  • Look and Feel

    Does your site design and content represent your “corporate” image – i.e. in the colours and language used.

  • Site Architecture

    Is your website simple, consistent and logical to navigate?

  • SEO

    Are your on-site pages/links properly optimised for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) purposes?

    Do these links make sense to your HUMAN visitors?

  • Call To Action

    Does EACH PAGE on your website have an OBVIOUS CALL TO ACTION? You’d be amazed at how many miss the boat entirely on this point! 🙂

  • Talking too much about YOU

    Talking about you… your company… and what “we” can do for customers is NOT putting your customer in the picture enough.

    Talk about THEM and how THEY can do stuff, and you’ll make a huge difference.

  • Putting TOO much on one page

    Stuffing a page with “design” elements, truckloads of text, or lots of links… can only lead to confusion and people “X’ing” out of that page quickly.

    Remember… K.I.S.S.

  • Use ORIGINAL content

    There’s enough recycled garbage or scraped content out there already! Quality original content… that you regularly add MORE OF… will help make the difference! More needles in that big search engine haystack make it all the better for people to find you!

    If it seems too hard to commit to a regular publishing schedule… just try to add one new piece every week. Before you know it, you’ll develop a good habit, AND have some more content to show for it.

  • Transparency/Trustworthiness

    What are you doing to ensure you establish TRUST with your visitors? Do you come across as someone they might want to do business with?

    Or are you hiding anonymously behind a contact form? And don’t have any “real” contact details, privacy statements, etc.

    Yeah… sure! As IF I will give YOU any money 😉 LOL

  • White Hat? Or Dodgy?

    Google’s Webmaster Guidelines exist for a reason – to demonstrate what design, content, technical and quality aspects are “expected” on a fair dinkum website. Check them out (link below) and see how your website measures up!

Not a definitive list, but a good start to consider never-the-less.

If you’d like my “opinion” on your website strategy… or just want to pick the brains of an experienced and unbiased webmaster… then please ask for a Web Strategy Assessment.

I’d love to help!

Cheers
Stephen Spry

P.S. Did you see my call to action in this article??? Here it is again if ya missed it – ask for a Web Strategy Assessment

Alternatively… you are most welcome to contact me for a chat about anything Internet 🙂


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