Building the Outline for a Good Website

Having a successful web presence is key to taking your company from local to global. Creating a website can expand your customer pool from the areas around you to the world around you. It makes your business accessible to customers 24/7 with the click of a button. The potential of your company's web presence is great, no doubt about it. But in order to turn potential into results, there are a few things your web presence has to have in order to be successful.

Homepage: The first thing your website design should have is a homepage. This is the place where customers get their first impression. It has to be catchy, comprehensible, and organized. The homepage should give the viewer some basic info on what your business model is. What does your company do? Why are you reliable? What do others have to say about you? You should have some captivating images, maybe a few quotes, and the basic layout of your website. Use tabs or infographs to show your other web pages. Make sure they are easily accessible and interesting as well.

About: The next thing your web presence needs is an about section or company info page. This is the place where you can really shine. Explain to the customer why, specifically, you are the company they want to invest their time and money into. Show that you are trustworthy, reliable, and confident. If your customers were impressed with your homepage, this is where they will probably go next. Continue to impress them with details about your business model and your company's m.o.

Testimonials: If there's one thing customers trust, it's the word of a fellow customer. Include a section of laudable reviews or quotes on why others have been pleased with your company. If someone is browsing your website and sees real life testimony of your previous customers, it's bound to help your company gain their trust and peak their interest.

Blog: Don't underestimate the power of the blog. Having a blog is a great way to enter into a conversation with your customers. Blogs usually have a laid back feel and a conversational tone that is appealing to customers. They also help prove your credibility; if you are a pet sitting business writing blogs that offer tips on how to train your dog to stop barking when the mailman comes to the door, people will trust you know what you're talking about. Blogs are also constantly changing and being updated. This will keep customers coming back to your website to see the latest post.

Social Media: Don't forget to incorporate social media into your web presence. Add share buttons for Twitter, facebook, Google Plus, and other social sites so that viewers can share your company's website with their friends. In addition to share buttons, create a presence on Twitter and Facebook so that you can connect with customers on a social level. Become one of their likes, interests, or favorites.