Looks do matter; Website isn't attracting customers? Maybe it's time to call an expert - B.E. Website Makeover - Brief Article

Black Enterprise, April, 2002 by Sonya A. Donaldson

BAD WEBSITES DO HAPPEN TO good businesses. And online, as in art, beauty is often truth. So if your Website looks like a loser, chances are, visitors will think your business is, too. BLACK ENTERPRISE challenged companies to submit their sites to the test in our first Website makeover contest. The competition was fierce since, quite frankly, many of the sites were, well, bad. We received dozens of submissions, but selected CDP Consultants Inc. (www.cdpconsultants.com), a Dublin, California-based firm specializing in project management for businesses and the government.

"We did [the site] ourselves without the benefit of professional designers," says company CEO Cecil Plummer. The site have been up for 18 months, as of January, and the company had received only three requests for information.

BE consulted Web design expert Nechelle Feaster of New York-based Feast New Medai Inc. (www.feastnewmedia.com) to help Plummer crate a winning Website. Feaster created CDP's new look under the Feast Web Biz packages for small businesses and entrepreneurs, which start at $499.

"The main problem with the site was the aesthetics," says Feaster. "There is an obvious lack of professional design." She concentrated on three basics: establishing a brand identity for CDP with a new logo; using inviting colors and images; and making the site easier to use.

So is Plummer happy? "Absolutely," he enthuses.

TIPS FOR SITE SUCCESS

Want to get repeat business for your Website? Follow Nechelle Feaster's six tips for an effective and attractive Web presence.

1. Maintain Brand Consistency

Your site should be consistent with the rest of your company's materials, such as brochures, marketing materials, business cards, or letterhead.

2. Reduced Load Time

There is no ideal goal for how long your Website should take to load, but conventional wisdom holds that if it takes longer than 15 seconds, you've already lost potential customers. Avoid slow-loading graphics, sounds, and unnecessary bells and whistles.

3. Provide Functionality

Provide tools that offer smooth interaction between visitors and customers. Basic forms on a site are sufficient to serve the target audience of a small firm, but as the company grows, consider adding a password-protected area for clients to manage their accounts.

4. Keep Content Concise

Surfers want to find information fast, and move on. Consider breaking up your content into smaller bites, then adding "Next" or "Page 1, 2, 3" links Readers will appreciate clicking versus scrolling--and they just might read all the information.

5. Build In Scalability

As your company grows, so must your Website. Plan for growth, so your Website developer can take this into consideration--and you can save money in the future.

6. Market the Website

If no one knows you've built a Website, no one will visit. Put your Web address on your business cards, letterhead, brochures, and any other mediums though which the public interacts with your company.