Your Small Business Website: Light the Fuse or Thank the Muse?

Introduction Review website development steps Light the fuse on your website or simply your thoughts of a website Rarely are we able to thank the muse when considering enhancements.

Review website development steps

Light the fuse on your website or simply your thoughts of a website

Rarely are we able to thank the muse when considering enhancements.

Where to Start? Purpose & Motive Target Audience Domain Names Website Hosting

Purpose & Motive

Target Audience

Domain Names

Website Hosting

Where to Start? Content Management Systems (CMS) Content – text, images, audio, video... Functional components Design development process

Content Management Systems (CMS)

Content – text, images, audio, video...

Functional components

Design development process

Purpose and Motive Why are you moving forward on the Internet?

Why are you moving forward on the Internet?

Market Differentiation

Branding

Increase Sales

Advertising

New Business Direction

Educate / Spread Information Town Crier

Keeping up with the Jones’s

Ready for Lift Off?

Not Yet

I want a website to… Increase/reduce email/phone inquiries Sell beyond the local area Display a portfolio or calendar Develop a community online Provide e-books or case studies Allow visitors to sign up for X

Increase/reduce email/phone inquiries

Sell beyond the local area

Display a portfolio or calendar

Develop a community online

Provide e-books or case studies

Allow visitors to sign up for X

Target Audiences It is not YOU – no trophy sites please Existing clients New clients Influencers – trusted resources Personas – demographics, buying habits, goals/needs, proficiency/knowledge

It is not YOU – no trophy sites please

Existing clients

New clients

Influencers – trusted resources

Personas – demographics, buying habits, goals/needs, proficiency/knowledge

Serve current customers

Influencers

Know who you are trying to reach

Domain Names

Domain Name = URL Web address = www.jbspartners.com Email = [email_address] Market your own business w/ each email NOT [email_address]

Web address = www.jbspartners.com

Email = [email_address]

Market your own business w/ each email

NOT [email_address]

Domain Names Domains are registered, like a car. Register for up to 10 years Keep contact info up to date Renew 6 months before expiration

Domains are registered, like a car.

Register for up to 10 years

Keep contact info up to date

Renew 6 months before expiration

Domain Name = web address Shorter than longer Easy to spell Easy on the phone Memorable No Hyphens

Shorter than longer

Easy to spell

Easy on the phone

Memorable

No Hyphens

Domain Names Dot Com is king for business Choose domain name before incorporating Brand or describe your business Don’t focus on search engines. They change Sound legitimate. Not adf.bz

Dot Com is king for business

Choose domain name before incorporating

Brand or describe your business

Don’t focus on search engines. They change

Sound legitimate. Not adf.bz

Website Hosting Operating System Linux Windows Shared server Dedicated server Managed server Cloud Computing

Operating System

Linux

Windows

Shared server

Dedicated server

Managed server

Cloud Computing

Website Hosting Support – “who ya gonna call?” Open Source - Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP = LAMP You get what you pay for

Support – “who ya gonna call?”

Open Source - Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP = LAMP

You get what you pay for

Content Management System The Pitch – You can update your website Depends on You WordPress – known as blogging platform Drupal - foundation to build on Etomite or Modx

The Pitch – You can update your website

Depends on You

WordPress – known as blogging platform

Drupal - foundation to build on

Etomite or Modx

WordPress

WordPress Editor

Drupal

Revolution Theme

Becomes This

Thesis Theme

Your Website Content Text Images Audio Video

Text

Images

Audio

Video

Your Website Content Can you solve my problem? Have you solved problems for someone like me before? Details – quality, price and proximity

Can you solve my problem?

Have you solved problems for someone like me before?

Details – quality, price and proximity

Functional Components Shopping Cart Blog Forum Photo Gallery Dynamic Calendar Client Login area Subscription / Registration

Shopping Cart

Blog

Forum

Photo Gallery

Dynamic Calendar

Client Login area

Subscription / Registration

Functional Components Streaming Video (live feed = Expensive) Online Giving / Donations Podcast Video Interactive Driving Directions

Streaming Video (live feed = Expensive)

Online Giving / Donations

Podcast

Video

Interactive Driving Directions

SEO Best Practices On Page SEO Key Word Research Meta Data URL structure Internal Linking Images Off Page SEO

Best Practices

On Page SEO

Key Word Research

Meta Data

URL structure

Internal Linking

Images

Off Page SEO

Design Factors Logo – Very impactful Keep page design simple and focused Colors Layout Sound – usually not Moving things – usually not Three clicks to content

Logo – Very impactful

Keep page design simple and focused

Colors

Layout

Sound – usually not

Moving things – usually not

Three clicks to content

Insight into the Design Process First concept through to completion Art Direction for the client

First concept through to completion

Art Direction for the client

Original Website

First Mock Up

Third Mock Up

Fifth Mock Up

Seventh Mock Up

Final Mock Up

Summary Purpose and Motive Domain name then incorporate Keyword research Select functionality required Develop content Customize a CMS pre-built theme Plan on maintaining Analytics – Mint or Google Analytics

Purpose and Motive

Domain name then incorporate

Keyword research

Select functionality required

Develop content

Customize a CMS pre-built theme

Plan on maintaining

Analytics – Mint or Google Analytics

Photo Credits from Flick r mleak - artbear.etsy.com - branding Flipped Out - ducks iDream_in_Infrared - salesman seeinside - advertising Hoeski direction lbsmsp town crier denis collette – flock DitB - Downintheblue – lift off Sofia Katariina - stop C&C Collision – auto body bookielovescta - video Businesscoach – business coach photobucket datflydipsetchick2006 - sports coach photobucket Thai Yin – blue shirt and suite Simple Simon - server

mleak - artbear.etsy.com - branding

Flipped Out - ducks

iDream_in_Infrared - salesman

seeinside - advertising

Hoeski direction

lbsmsp town crier

denis collette – flock

DitB - Downintheblue – lift off

Sofia Katariina - stop

C&C Collision – auto body

bookielovescta - video

Businesscoach – business coach photobucket

datflydipsetchick2006 - sports coach photobucket

Thai Yin – blue shirt and suite

Simple Simon - server

Thank You This presentation will be available at www.jbspartners.com I look forward to your questions any time.

This presentation will be available at www.jbspartners.com

I look forward to your questions

any time.