Back to Basics

We spend a lot of time here at CYber SYtes working to keep up with the leading edge Web site related issues. We have all felt the buzz around Social Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. We have all heard that blogging will add great information to your web site and improve your chances for natural search engine ranking. SEO, PPC, E-blasts, all of the amazing marketing opportunities that the Web offers, are without a doubt great but…. we feel it is worth taking a step back to consider the basics.

YOUR WEB SITE.

Your web site has become the core of all your marketing efforts…or at least it should have. All  your other ads (should) reference your web site. But when did you last take look at your web site? Really look at it? Is it up to date or is that office you closed two years ago still on the site? How about your “staff page” or “about us” page? Is it up to date? Read the text on your home page. Does it describe your business today?

We recommend that at least once a month a knowledgeable staff member cruises the web site and take notes on items that are out of date or need to be added.

With the arrival of the “Real Time” Web only sites that have current, relevant information have even a chance to attract visitors time and time again. Our new site www.pcbdaily.com is a great example of a site that has fresh information on it almost every day… and the large number of visitors to the site prove that folks are interested in what the site has to say!

When was the last time you went to a web site more than three times where nothing had changed on the site since your last visit? We’ll bet most of you can’t think of one.

So what can you do to keep your site alive and ready for the visitors you will send to it from all your other advertising and marketing efforts?

First, a large part of the solution is a CMS system or “Content Management System”. In plain English that means that you or your staff can easily add or change the information on your site WITHOUT calling your Web Design company. That also means that updates are FREE. It’s difficult to stress how important frequent updates, both small and large, are to keep your web site alive, vibrant and interesting. Most of our current web sites implement full content management systems right from the get go.

Second, well-written, up-to-date content on your site is critical. Not only for Search Engines to improve the ranking of your site but for the visiting HUMAN beings to read, enjoy and understand who you are and what you offer. A well-crafted message is priceless.

Finally, great pictures and graphics. Those pictures you took back in 2004 just don’t look as clear and shiny as they did back in “the day”. Many people judge a web site by the quality and “pizzazz” of the images on the site. Take a hard, critical look at the pictures on your site. Is your web site as impressive or as effective as your competitors?

So yes, it is important to think about Social Networking on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube.com, Search Engine Optimization, Email marketing, Pay Per Click Campaigns, etc., but it is worth take some time get back to the basics. Look at your site and ask yourself whether or not you are putting your best face forward for your business or organization.

Go ahead… we’ll wait here until you get back…..

So what did you see? If you want to discuss what can be done to improve your site to be competitive here in 2010 give us a call at 850-233-5514. The Brain Storming is on us. We think you will be amazed at what is can be done for your web site!

This entry was posted on Friday, April 2nd, 2010 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Articles (Everyday Stuff). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.