Well, most website developers and interactive marketing companies call themselves “internet consultants.”   However, because they have a vested interest in the outcome of their “consulting,” how can their advice not be self-serving?  So how can an Internet consultant help a company and how do you find one?

Let’s first look at how they can help you.  If you’ve ever taken on a web development project, you may have quickly learned that getting proposals can be a nightmare.  Pricing can be all over the board and trying to compare apples to apples is harder than nailing jello to a wall (which I’ve tried a few times).  If you engage an Internet consultant from the get-go, as they say, there is much they can do to not only make this process easier, but also make sure that you create a return on your investment.

Step 1 – have the consultant do a complete analysis of your current web presence, if you have one.  Looking at everything from your current site, to your competitors sites.

Step 2 – next, have the consultant do a complete web needs analysis.  This will involve learning more about your business, other forms of marketing you employ, business processes, etc.  This may also involve interviewing key people from each department to learn more what they believe would be useful for your customers and prospects as well as how automation of some duties might make their jobs run smoother.  In addition, they may want to talk to some of your current customers to learn what they feel would be beneficial to them.

Step 3 – create a detailed scope of work that can be presented as a Request for Proposal.  This will allow you to make sure each company is proposing exactly the same work, rather than their interpretation.

Step 4 – the consultant can then help you evaluate proposals and choose an Internet marketing vendor to carry out the plans for your company.

Step 5 – you can then have the consultant act as an internal project manager, if you do not have someone to fill that role.  This will insure your internal team and the external vendor stay on track and on budget.

OK, you say – this sounds great – how do I find one? Try to find a consulting company or individual that is independent and does not work for a company that will also do the actual building of the web application or graphics.  Because the Internet is a virtual world, they would not even need to be located in your city.

eBizLogic. com is an independent Internet Consulting company that can help you with all the steps outlined above or any other Internet Consulting including SEO and SEM.  Just email us at info@ebizlogic.com for a no-cost consultation.

Having this type of control over your site once it is designed can be a real plus for those companies that do not have internal technical help or webmasters.  Even larger companies like the ability to have non-technical personnel update the site allowing management by the marketing department, rather than IT.  Since your website IS a marketing tool, this typically will benefit the company by keeping the responsibility within the marketing department.

There are many off-the-shelf CMS tools available and most web developers have their own versions as well.  Deciding which one is the best for you will probably be left up to whoever is developing your website.  However, a couple of things to watch out for:  1) many developers do not let you “own” their CMS system, basically handcuffing you to them until you decide you want to develop a new site.  It is definitely recommended that you work with a developer who will license the CMS to you, or, better still, let you own the source code.  With either instance, if you have the ability to host the site and the CMS wherever you choose, that will give you the flexibility of working with a different development or hosting company should you become unhappy with your current provider’s services, and 2) make sure the CMS allows your site to have search-friendly URLs, i.e. www.yourcompanyname.com/services vs. something like http://www.yourcompanyname.com/default.asp?contentID=7. 

Bottom line – a CMS is a powerful tool that should be adopted by any company that wants to keep their website up-to-date and provide new content for their customers and prospects and for those who would like to do everything they can to achieve good rankings in search engines (search engines LOVE fresh content).

Nothing slows down the process of creating a new website like developing the content.  I’ve seen clients delay the process for an entire YEAR because they cannot get the content developed. 

 Remember that writing content for the web is different from writing any other type of content.  Users are looking for information and they want it quickly – it’s not a leisurely reading of the newspaper or magazine.  You have about six seconds to capture the user’s attention when they land on one of your pages.

 Many times, companies do not want to pay a professional copywriter to write their content – a mistake in my opinion.  However, if your budget does not allow for a copywriter and you really need to do it yourself, here are the top 5 things to remember when writing copy for the web.

1.      Know Your Audience
Remember, you have two different audiences.  On the user side, you many have your prospects, your current customers, employees and potential employees, but you also have a completely different audience, Search Engines.  Search Engines are a very important audience, because if they cannot read and evaluate your content, the users will never find you.

 2.  Understand the Habits of the Internet User
Web user’s do not read a website, they SCAN it.  Tests have shown that 79% of users scan a web page.  Why?  For several reasons including:  reading content on a computer screen can be difficult and cause eye strain, the web is a user-driven medium and people believe they need to be moving and clicking on links in the site, and life is hectic – we just don’t have time to weed through a lot of information to determine if we are interested in this product or service.  Do you ever see paragraphs of content scroll through on your TV set?  Would you read it if they did?

a.       Make sure it is very clear what you do immediately.  Quickly tell users what you do, why they should use you and a key benefit.

b.      Use tag lines and headings – short ones, of course.  These are good for users and great for search engines.

c.       Use the correct writing style: use the inverted pyramid – give the conclusion first; make your content keyword rich; keep paragraphs and sentences short (paragraphs should be no more than 40 to 70 words and sentences no more than 15 to 20 words); use one and two syllable words; use bullet points whenever possible

d.      Use the correct voice. Write from “me” to “you.”  There should be many more you’s than I’s and We’s in your content.  Write as if you were speaking to the customer.  Keep it on a 7^th grade level – no flowery language.  You are not trying to impress them with your vocabulary, but rather trying to get your message heard. Write in active rather than passive style.

e.       Write how people search.  Determine the most-used search phrases and use those phrases in your content.  If you have a site now, review your statistics to see how users are finding you and what they are using.  Use an online resource such as Wordtracker.

f.        Focus on benefits. Talk about the benefits of your products or services, not the features.  In most cases benefits will sell, not features.

g.       Make your site interactive.  Get the users involved in exploring your site.

h.       Don’t forget your call to action – give the user something to do before they leave you site, i.e. call you, complete an online form, register for something “free”

i.         Let your prospects contact you 24×7.  Make sure you have an easy to find contact us or request information form for users to complete.

j.        Use your words to establish trust and build rapport.

k.      KEEP THE CONTENT FRESH.  There is nothing worse than stale content.  Give the user a reason to come back.  Also, search engines love new content!

 5.      Understand the Importance of Search Engines and How They Work
Every day millions and millions of searches are done on the web.  Recent research shows that 83% of businesses use the Internet to research and find potential vendors and 75% of users admit to making judgments about the company’s credibility based on their website.  Since Search Engines can only see plain text, your content is especially important for them.  Spend some time researching how search engines work and apply that knowledge when writing all content.

 While this certainly seems like a daunting task, it will certainly pay off in the end to do your diligence when writing your content.  And, the good news is, if you make a mistake, well – hey this is the web – it can be easily changed!

Ok, so how do you develop a plan?  Many companies make the mistake of beginning this process without a clear vision of the goals of their site, the target audience, or even how they will measure the results.  Without a clear plan and scope of work in place, you will not be able to make an informed decision as to what company you should choose to build the site for you and how you will know if you made the right decision.  Some things to keep in mind include:

1. Determine how your company will use the website.  Is it merely an “online brochure” or would you like a site that develops sales leads, acts as a sales tool, demonstrates a product or service, handles online e-commerce, or automates some of your day-to-day customer interactions that could save time and money? 

2. Talk to your employees and customers to find out what they would like to see on your website.  Since they will be the using the site, they can provide invaluable information when developing your plan.  You can also ask your customers to share what they would think would be valuable if they were merely prospects. 

3. Put together a detailed scope of work.  The only way you will be able to compare apples to apples when searching for a vendor is if you can deliver a detailed scope or RFP (Request for Proposal).  Without this, each vendor will be interpreting your needs in their own way, which could vary greatly in scope and cost. 
    
4. Develop a budget and have a realistic expectation of what you can achieve for your budget.  Developing a professional website with any type of functionality that will actually create a return can many times be an expensive proposition.  The myth that websites are “cheap” can cost you more in the long run if you shop on price alone. 

1. Remember that your website is, in most cases, the very first impression a new prospective customer or employee has of your organization.  It is imperative that your site develops the image that is right for your organization.  Forget the “template” or “one-size-fits-all” website. The old saying that “you never get a second chance to create a good first impression” was never truer than when talking about your website. 

Developing a plan and creating a useful site can definitely help your business grow, so make your website part of your long-term marketing plan.