Is Your Web site Earning Its Keep?

Could adding ".com" to your company earn you more money? Here's how to use the Web wisely.

by Karen Cheney August 25, 2003

No one has the chance to mine gold from the Internet like a small entrepreneur. Yet most small businesses either don't have a Web site or haven't bothered to create more than a basic electronic business card. It may seem like a hassle, particularly if you don't aspire to sell products outside your ZIP code. Still, even if you don't want to do business in Australia, a good Web site can help you serve your current customers better and market your business even more successfully to your local area.

Take, for instance, Chuck Pianko, owner of Glenside Glass, a cut-to-size glass company in Glenside, Pa., (www.glensideglass.com). He doesn't plan to sell glass on the site, or to draw in customers from outside his county. "It's more for information," he says.

Double Your Advertising Effectiveness

The ability to provide information is a key advantage of the Web. "The effectiveness of your Yellow Pages advertising is doubled if you include your Web address," says Anet Dunne, director of sales and marketing for Nu-Designs Web Development. Why? The Web allows you to say more about your unique skills. "Lawyers, accountants, any professionals have specialties and things in their background that may help them resonate with a client," says Dunne.

"As more and more people get on the Web and look for local companies, it's important to have a presence out there," says Pianko. Of course, a mere presence may not be enough. In fact, it may be better to have no Web site at all than one that makes you look like a fly-by-night establishment.

That's not to say that you have to drain your savings account to create a Web site. Hosting companies like BellSouth, Yahoo! and EarthLink offer templates that allow you to produce a basic site with very little time and cost. Of course, such sites won't give you a personalized edge. "If you don't mind looking like other small businesses, go ahead with these services," says Jorge Sauer, a Web developer with Netfinity. For a more unique look, however, you may want to consult a private developer. Whether you opt to do it yourself or hire a pro, here are five tips to help you:

1. Choose a role model. One good way to get started with your move online is to view lots of commercial Web sites. Take notes about what you like and dislike, and pay extra attention to your competitors. If you see a site that looks especially good, contact the owner and ask who developed it. If you decide to hire a developer, shop around first. "Each one will have a certain style," says Donna McGuire, a designer with Upper West Web in New York City. "You have to make sure that the style is right for you." Ask your designer to create the home page first, she suggests. Then take a look at that page before you have your developer go forward with the whole site.

2. Appeal to the masses. What you see on your screen may not look the same on your neighbor's computer. It depends on the type of computer the person is using, the screen size and browser. "You want to make sure that your message is seen in a way that is pleasing to the eye on all different computers," says McGuire. Another tip: avoid using large buttons and choose a type face that is 'sans serif' -- meaning without the fillips on the end of lines. "Verdana is one of the best type faces to use," says Dunne. She also warns Web site owners to avoid making something look like a link if it's not a link. For example, instead of underlining a key word to add emphasis, change its color

3. Offer clear road signs. Viewers who get lost on your site will exit -- and never return. Make sure you leave 'breadcrumbs,' such as buttons reading "return to top," "home," and so on. In general, you shouldn't have more than seven categories on a page. For instance, a baker might have "cakes," "cookies," "pies," "yeast breads," "sweet breads," "scones" and "muffins." Longer lists confuse the eye. "It's okay to have subtopics under one topic," says McGuire. For instance, under "cakes," you might have "weddings," "birthdays," and "anniversaries."

4. Don't be flashy. Any graphics you use should impose only a moderate download time. "The nice, expensive Flash entry pages are actually counterproductive," says Dunne. "First, the search engine can't find it because there's no text. And it also takes too long and most people click past it." Keep in mind that most people use dial-up modems that rarely achieve speeds as high as 56 kilobits per second, so test your graphics against that benchmark.

One exception: You don't care about search engines and know that your clients have high-speed connections. "My philosophy is that if the viewer doesn't have a high-speed line and a fast computer, it's probably not an organization that's qualified to hire me," says Larry Dressler, owner of Blue Wing Consulting. "So I end up using it as a filter."

• Be search-engine savvy. Of course, most businesses want to be found. To list your Web site with top search engines, go to www.dmoz.org. It's also important to make your site easy for search engines to spot. "One of the key things is to use searchable words in your HTML copy," says Dunne. "Don't hide the important words in a graphic. The search engine 'crawlers' can't see what's in the graphic." Short loading time and updating your site regularly also earn more search engine hits, says McGuire. Change your information, offer a tip of the day and you'll keep people coming back.

Columnist Karen Cheney is a veteran financial and business reporter who has written extensively for many national magazines, including Money and Business Week, and is co-author of the book, How to Start a Successful Home Business.