Think Before You Act

• July 29, 2010
Steph

Miami Web Design Pro believes that the most important thing about a website is engaging your customers, you must build a connection with them through the Internet. You have to draw your customers in so that they will keep coming back for more. If they are interested in your website and in your services, they will continue to visit your website. They will evolve from curious web surfers into loyal clients. You have to have a unique vision, as well as understanding of your audience. Below are some techniques that will help you accomplish just that:

1. Do not let your focus waver.
Too many companies are so busy worrying about their competitors that they do not focus on what’s most important: the clients.  Not only is it making your concentration stray away from your customers, but it will also confuse you. You do not know the background of your competitors or the critical information about their design or vision, so you will be searching aimlessly in the dark. Because you won’t understand the competitions’ page you won’t know whether the website performs well, if it’s successful, or if you should copy them or ignore them. Besides misinterpreting the website, you can also be deceived.  Many business, when creating their website, do not like to stray too far away from the flock, they like conformity, being too rambunctious and radical does not sound appealing to many companies. If “no one else is doing [an idea]” then the vision loses its lucrative attraction.  An idea can go two ways, either it will completely flop, and that is why no one did it before, or it can succeed, and you could have struck marketing gold. You have to decide which direction your idea may go based on your audience. You have to focus on your customers and their needs, desires, and what they want to see. You need to know how they shop, research, act, etc. In short, you have to know their market interests better than they know themselves.

2. Your company > Your website

You need to remember that in today’s day and age a website is only a small part in the grand perception a customer creates of you and your company. If a customer is truly interested in your services then they will do their homework; they will not only rely on your website to supplement their questions about you. They will search other portals to find out about you. Blogs, forums, online media sites, etc, are your customers’ sharpest tools when researching your company. Be smart about your plan and your company, do not ignore the other outlets; instead, use them to your advantage. Monitor, listen, respond and accommodate your customers’ questions and comments.

3. It’s all about your plan.

You do not need to have the most spectacular vision out there, what you need is to have a business model. You need to have a plan on what you want to achieve, and what you want your customers to do on your site.  Three major models are:

- The E-commerce Model: Your site is all about purchasing items and services directly from your website. In order for this to run smoothly you need to have the tools that handle product information, place orders, and accept payments.
- The Outbound Model: In its simplest form the outbound model represents a quid pro quo system. It is an exchange; the customer exchanges his information for something that you are willing to offer, like a newsletter. You gather his information for the purpose of collecting lead-generation data that can prove to be useful in future sales plans.
- The Inbound Model: People come to your website because of the information you’re providing. They want what you’re offering, they crave the constant stream of information that your website has become known for. As time passes, and popularity rises, you soon become the trusted source on the topic of your choice. All you need is an ever-present stream of compelling information.

Remember to stay informed as to what your customers wants and needs are, this vital insight will help you pick the right model for you and your company.

4. Even web sites have blue prints.

Content should control the structure, not the other way around. Before you create a web site and its design you first have to know what you’re going to fill-in that gorgeous page with. You need to know your content and information before jumping the gun and tackling the creation of a website. Do not let the web developers or web designers lead you, you lead them. That way you know what you information you are going to provide, and how you are going to come across to customers. Web Design Miami will work with you to make sure the end product is exactly what you envisioned.
5. Your customers come first.

Perhaps the hardest part of creating a website is letting go of your image, and focusing on the customers. I do not know how to stress this enough FOCUS ON THE CUSTOMERS. Every single aspect of your website should be centered around your clients. As outlandish as this sounds your website shouldn’t be about your company, it should be about your customers. When someone visits your site, no matter how beautiful and eloquent the “About us” page, all they really care about is how is it going to benefit them in the end.