Welcome to the second article in our three part series “Successfully Getting Your Business Online”
Part 1: Domain Names, URLs, and Email Addresses
Part 2: Proper Branding and Web Design
Part 3: Customer Needs Determine Site Functionality
Last week, we looked at step one in getting a business up and running on the web. This week we’ll focus on the second step: proper branding and design!
All you have to do is remember to be NICE. “NICE” is an acronym for being sure your business is perceived as “Needed, Interesting, Consistent, and Easy to buy from”!
It can feel stressful trying to design your new website, but remembering that you just need to keep it NICE makes it easier to keep track of!
Here’s an example of being NICE, using made-up business “The Happy Salad Company.”
Needed: Almost everyone eating healthy eats salads, so I make sure that I consistently point out why MY salads are healthier than other companies’. This could be my special dressings, friendly customer service, or lower price. Everything I write needs to point back to the fact that The Happy Salad Company is needed in the market! Give your customer the info they seek to see why you’re…needed.
Interesting: Make sure the information is presented in an exciting way. If the reason the world needs The Happy Salad Company is because they have the best customer service, say so in a clever way! For example, “Even our customer service is fresh!” is a better choice than “We have wonderful customer service.” Attracting customers will be easier if they understand why they need you, and find your business interesting.
Consistent: Don’t be TOO interesting; you can over do it. (“I have eight great slogans for how amazing my customer service is, so I’ll use a new slogan on each page!”, but customers are easily confused. Keep your website consistent so people will more easily remember the interesting ways you pointed out how they need you!
Easy to Buy From: Can your customers order your product online, or is that functionality not necessary (FYI : we’ll cover this in next week’s article!)? If they call for orders, is your phone number easy to locate and to read? Can customers easily see your prices? How many steps does it take to complete a purchase? …the easier you make buying, the better your website will be!
For info on designing a website using EarthLink’s FREE Website Builder, click HERE!