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In
this eNews, we’re going to learn from the experience
of Melody Randall, President of Teknalight Software Corporation,
a web design and hosting firm.
According to Melody, the Top Three issues in using
the Internet effectively for business are:
-
Appropriate
Use of Email;
-
Unrealistic
Expectations of Web Site; and
-
Going
overboard with Too Much Web Design.
1. Appropriate
Use of Email.
There is an unwritten “etiquette” to using email.
Many business people who use email don’t follow
these simple “rules.”
- Reply
within 24 hours if possible.
The reply
can simply be "I'll get back to you when I have time." This
sets an expectation for the sender and confirms that
you even got their email.
Include
the sender's message along with your response.
When Melody receives an email that lacks the context
of the original question or comment, she has to search
through her sent folder to find out exactly what the
person is responding to. This
can cause misunderstanding if you assume the reply is for
one email when the person was responding to another!
2. Unrealistic Expectations for
Web site.
Just because a web site exists does
not mean visitors will come.
-
Successful
web sites do targeted marketing.
There are
many means of promotion that do not cost a lot of money
(e.g., site registration through search engines and
directories, reciprocal or exchange links on complementary
web sites, traditional print media).
- Successful
web sites keep content current.
The most
successful web sites require effort to be invested on an
on-going basis to keep the site current and interesting.
3. Going Overboard with Too Much Web Design.
A flashy opening page on a web
site with cool multimedia may
look good on a web designer’s
resume, but a typical web visitor
who has dialed in to the Internet
via phone will most likely not see it.
- Keep
the design simple and fast loading.
There
is a 2-3 second window of time to capture enough interest
to persuade a first-time visitor to continue and click
somewhere on the home page to get into the web site. If the "what
am I doing here" question is not answered within this short
amount of time, the visitor will go somewhere else.
- Put
all the important content at the top of the page.
If
there is important content that the visitor must scroll
down to see, only 25% of visitors will see it; people
won't scroll down unless they are motivated by what they
see on the top part of the page.
In conclusion, the Internet
is a powerful tool for business people. With these
practical guidelines, you can enhance its effectiveness
for your business.
We thank Melody for her contribution to the 'from the trenches'
series. Melody Randall of Teknalight Software Corporation,
292 Great Road, Acton, MA can be reached at 978-264-3282
or mrandall@teknalight.com. Melody’s firm hosts the
Smartfast web site and she has been a great help in the
design and implementation of the site.
Jean D. Sifleet
Attorney & CPA
P.S. We welcome contributions to the “from the trenches”
series. What do you wish you had known before it
caused you problems?
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