Getting
On-line
Establishing an Online Presence
Web site development is no longer
the exclusive domain of the technically talented. Indeed,
establishing an on-line presence is literally becoming easier
by the day. Most web hosting services provide basic templates
and instructions to help you build a simple web site quickly.
If you prefer to create something
more powerful and dynamic, you can choose from a myriad of
new web page software options. Today's Windows based software
packages are more intuitive and user friendly than their cryptic
predecessors. The primitive development technique of creating
web sites from individual HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
files is rapidly giving way to a more robust and flexible
methodology.
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Complex HTML programming tasks are
now accomplished behind the scenes, allowing users to deal
with a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. Standard
Windows tool bars and drop down menus allow even the most
technically challenged entrepreneurs to create professional
looking web pages with relative ease.
Ready made templates and wizards
allow modest web sites to be created quickly and easily. Links,
navigation buttons and site maps can all be added to your
web site with a few mouse clicks and without prior programming
training. The current front-runners in web development software
are Microsoft's Front Page, MacroMedia's Dreamweaver, and
Claris' Home Page. All are reasonably priced and all are powerful
and user friendly.
For help in learning to use the
latest versions of web development software, look in the yellow
pages under computer software training. There are numerous
classes offered by universities, community colleges and software-training
companies that will get you started. Many of these courses
are also now available on-line.
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Of course, you may also choose to
have a web site developed professionally. Prices for basic
web sites vary considerably. Expect to pay between $300 and
$500 for a very basic site. Site developers can be found in
the yellow pages under Internet services, or on the Internet
itself. Most hosting services also provide a listing of qualified
web site developers. Many hosting services will also provide
assistance - either free of charge or at a nominal cost. Be
aware, however, that a complex site will cost much more to
develop. It pays to develop your own programming skills -
and it is not that difficult to master. Mostly it requires
practice and a lot of patience.
If you choose to use the services
of a professional developer, be sure to ask to see several
examples of the developers work before you make any commitments.
Get on the web and go into a couple of sites they have created.
Navigate through the sites to ensure that the developer has
an ability to create an enticing presentation and a user-friendly
layout. A well-designed site will flow well and encourage
visitors to spend time at your site.
To attract repeat visits, a site
must hold the promise of useful information, products, opportunities
or interactions. Put yourself in the shoes of your target
audience as you design your site. Identify the things that
will appeal most strongly to this audience and then build
those things into your site.
Software developers have responded
positively to the demand for frequent and continuous site
update capability. Static web sites are quickly becoming a
thing of the past. Studies show that the most visited sites
today are those which continually refresh features and information.
Repeat site visits and customer loyalty ultimately depend
on fresh site content and interactivity.
If you are providing information,
make sure it is accessible, relevant and timely. Products
should be positioned to highlight their benefit to prospective
customers. The idea is to create value for visitors. Unattractive,
self serving sites will attract few visitors and produce even
fewer customers.
Monitoring the Effectiveness of Your Web
Page
Sophisticated site monitoring software
has been developed which allows web site owners to track activity
at their sites. At a minimum, these software tools will allow
you to determine how many "hits" or visits your
site receives each day. The more powerful (and expensive)
packages provide much more extensive and potentially valuable
information. This information can provide data not only on
the quantity of visits your site receives but also on the
quality of those visits. Current information capabilities
include:
Number of visits your site
receives each day
Distribution of site visits
by hour of day, day of week, etc.
Duration of each visit
Number of visits a customer
makes before placing an order
Frequency and spacing of
return visits
Pages viewed by each visitor
Time spent on each page
of your site
External origination point
(whether visitor came through a link from another site or
accessed your site directly)
Detailed mapping of each
visitor's movement through your site
As the World-Wide-Web evolves, demographic
information will become available on individuals visiting
your site. It is not difficult to comprehend the enormous
implications of real-time marketing data of this type. Demands,
expectations and preferences of visitors can be extrapolated
from their trail of activity as they work their way through
your site. In the aggregate this information will provide
immediate feedback about what is working and what is not working.
If properly interpreted, this information will allow you to
calibrate your web site on a continuous basis to optimize
results.
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