Maximising Your
Web Impact
Independents Day 2009
Jamie Forster

Maximising Your Web Impact

Maximising Your Web Impact

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
So, what is a domain name?
• It’s the address that people type into an internet browser to
find a web page
• There are many types to choose from – ie .co.uk, .com, .me.uk
• Which to choose, .com or .co.uk?
• Ideally both, but the better sole option is the .co.uk
Why do I need a domain name?
• Acts as the ‘street address’ to allow visitors to find the site
• Without a domain name, you cannot have a website or
‘branded’ email

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
What does a domain name say about my company?
• Professionalism
• Your business card wouldn’t say you were from a different
company would it? ‘Unbranded’ email is promoting
someone else’s business!
• It defines what people think of you as a company
Domain names are very easy and cheap to buy
Ensure that the domain name is registered to you or your
company

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
www.nominet.org.uk

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
F
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Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
What does a domain name say about my company?
• Professionalism
• Your business card wouldn’t say you were from a different
company would it? ‘Unbranded’ email is promoting
someone else’s business!
• It defines what people think of you as a company
Domain names are very easy and cheap to buy
Ensure that the domain name is registered to you or your
company
Word of caution….
• How easy is your domain name to remember?
• How easy is your domain name to type?

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
Who Represents
www.whorepresents.com

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
Experts Exchange
www.expertsexchange.com

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
Pen Island
www.penisland.net

Maximising Your Web Impact
Domain Names
Powergen Italia
www.powergenitalia.com

Maximising Your Web Impact

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
Why would my company need one?
• The internet never sleeps
• Acts as a sales and marketing team
• Websites are no longer optional extras but an absolute
necessity
• Print media can be expensive and perhaps only monthly –
website is ‘on’ 24/7 and unlike print, can be changed
relatively easily
• People are more likely to use search engines to find products
and services rather than services such as Yellow Pages
• If you aren’t being found, your competitors are
• Study shows 86% of consumers research a company online
before choosing to use them

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
3 main types of website
Static Websites
CMS Websites
eCommerce Websites

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
Static Website
• Simple site, ideal for informational/brochure websites
• No easy way for owner to update themselves
• Doesn’t mean that look and feel are compromised

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
CMS Website
• CMS stands for ‘content managed system’
• Ability for site owner to update and maintain the site
• Relatively easy interface called a WYSIWYG, similar to a
word processor
• Hosted offerings usual affordable but limited in form and
function, limit future upgrade options
• Bespoke CMS will be more expensive, but worth it
• Scalable – ample girth to grow into
• Added functionality

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
A common WYSIWYG, similar to a word processor
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F
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Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
eCommerce Website
• Any website that is selling products or services online
• 2 parts to any eCommerce solution
1. The shop where visitors browse and make their
purchase
2. The card transaction itself
• Can be achieved cheaply (Static site + PayPal for instance)
• Better to make use of a proper eCommerce cart system

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
3 important aspects of any website
1. Perception
2. Navigation
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
3 important aspects of any website
1. Perception
• Do they like the site or not?
• First impressions REALLY do matter
• Helps create trust
• Could ultimately be the deciding factor to buy or not

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
3 important aspects of any website
1. Perception
2. Navigation
• The way visitors move around a website
• Easiest way to lose visitors
• Needs to be
• consistent
• easy to follow and understand
• appealing
• as few clicks as possible to get from A to B

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
3 important aspects of any website
1. Perception
2. Navigation
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
• Key to a websites visibility to the search engines
• Don’t need to spend vast amounts to achieve results
• Website without SEO is like a car without wheels
• The basics don’t guarantee traffic, but without them
guaranteed not to get traffic
• ‘Friendly URL’s (uniform resource locator or web address)
http://www.motley.co.uk/default.asp?page=3&sectid=788
or
http://www.motley.co.uk/contact.php

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
A few other aspects to help
• Make sure your site is kept up to date and fresh
• Speed of download
• Make sure you have certain pages
• Make sure you comply with relevant legislation

Maximising Your Web Impact
Websites
Got a reason not to have a website?
• I wouldn’t know where to start
• It’s going to cost me far too much to get a website
• It could, but doesn’t have to
• Can you afford NOT to have a website?
• Test the water
• Website cost is one off, better value than print
• My business doesn’t need to be online
• EVERY business needs a website
• If you’re not online, you are losing business

Maximising Your Web Impact

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing
Does anyone know your site is there?
Have you told anyone about it?
How are you going to attract visitors?
• Free marketing and advertising
• Press releases to local papers
and magazines
• Remember to let them know
your latest news
• Get backlinks – websites that link
back to your site
• Write articles on your topic
and get them published online
• Record video and post to
YouTube
• Start a blog

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing
Other methods to get noticed
www.linkedin.com
www.ecademy.com
www.myspace.com
www.facebook.com
www.twitter.com

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing
Make sure you are measuring traffic to your site
• “50% of marketing works, we just don’t know which 50% “
• It’s the only way you will know if your site is attracting
visitors
• Measuring can show you
• How many people visit
• How visitors have found you (search terms)
• Which search engine they used to find you
• What browser they are using
• And much much more
• Google Analytics is free

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing
Google AdWords
• Create and run ads quickly and simply
• Only pay for click throughs to your site
• Set your own budget what you want to spend each day,
week or even month
• Once you hit your limit, your ad stops being displayed
• Great way to attract visitors from day 1
• Wider reach than just Google

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing
Email Marketing
• Effective way of keeping in touch with customers
• Email capture form on your website
• Special offer – Call to Actions
Software
• Manages your subscriber list and Opt Outs
• Sending of emails is automated & with no limits

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing
Aweber
2 main services
• Email Newsletters
• Follow up Autoresponders
Email Newsletters
• Manages your subscriber list and Opt Outs
• Send them manually, anytime you want to
• Simple to personalise every message

Maximising Your Web Impact
eMarketing
Aweber
Follow up Autoresponders
• Series of pre-written emails
• You choose time and date gaps between each one
• Simple to personalise every message

Maximising Your Web Impact
In Summary

Maximising Your
Web Impact
Thank you for your attention
Jamie Forster