My website is up and running...what next? Article by Steve Marsten

Many businesses spend many dollars to get their websites up and running and like their Budget that’s in their bottom draw, they forget about it! In a recent report in the US by Vertexera, 85% of consumers prefer to use a search engine when looking for a product or service than anything else. I guess the iPhone and the iPad mean that we no longer have to get off the lounge to look for the Yellow Pages guide anymore thanks to Mr Jobs. Interestingly, Australia ranks ahead of the US in terms of internet penetration. So to me this indicates that if you want to be found in today’s internet connected world - you absolutely, definitely and unquestionably MUST have an internet presence.

What I see are business owners who have rushed to get the website up and running then forget about it! Also many people don’t bother to regularly check the functionality of their website. They fail to put themselves in the position of their customer. They don’t ask the questions that go through the customers mind when they are on your site. Remember we want customers and potential customers using our site. 

So here are a few questions I think are imperative to consider once your website is finalised and the every couple of months.

1.   Does the site seem to take forever to load?

2.   Has your IT supplier spoken to you about caching the browser to speed things up?

3.   Does your website connect to posts, pages, categories and tags on your blog?

4.   When you carry out a search on your search engine for your service, product or business – does it appear on the first page? How far down the page? Do you need to improve your optimisation?

5.    Do you use a good statistics tool? What do you do to manage the traffic on your website? Do you know who and how many people land on your website? How many drill past the first page? How many new customers or existing customers contact you as a result of your webpage? What you don’t record, you don’t manage!

6.    Do you have an events calendar?

7.    Is your site easy to navigate? Some sites have so much information on them it’s sometimes difficult to work out where things are. Consider having someone, maybe a family member or friend or your accountant who is going to give honest feedback - “test” your site.

8.    Build connectors with your customers. Have them “Join your membership”. Formalise a Login to your site. Receive a newsletter or updates on your business events etc.

9.    Ask your customers for ideas or test your customers with surveys – most of all get them involved with you and your business products and services.

Finally, have an IT internet professional who has experience in your industry, to carry out an audit on your site and to give feedback to improve the site every year, otherwise you may not be getting the return on your investment. 

To obtain more information on this topic you can contact Steve Marsten of Sothertons Chartered Accountants on 4972 1300.