Every business needs a presence on the web; if your business is not online, you will be notable by your absence. The fact is that many shoppers are now looking online first for products and services, to compare prices, learn more about particular purchases, and find retailers. Because of the sheer number of sites available for the potential customer to choose from, a focused, well designed and informative website is a necessity. Customers are inclined to judge books by their covers and companies by their websites: if your business does not present a professional front to potential buyers, the online portion of its potential customers will be lost. Since your online presence equates to your global presence, this group of customers can be huge. Your website can be used to get across important product information and news of new services quickly and cheaply, and it can also be seen as a 24/7 open for business storefront; your customers can browse and purchase products at any time of the day or night, even outside your normal business hours. It should be becoming pretty clear why it's worth getting it right!

Many businesses fear that the cost of high-quality web designers will be prohibitive, and that using and maintaining a website is just too complicated and daunting. Whilst web design itself is a complex business, there are plenty of cost-effective simple solutions you can try, which can make the whole process look a lot less frightening, and all for only a few hundred pounds. If a site has been well-designed, maintaining and updating it can be relatively easy, and most definitely worth it, since the returns will soon outstrip the effort involved.

Reasonably cheap "WYSIWYG" (what you see is what you get) software exists which has dozens of pre-designed templates that you can customise and upload very easily. This option is best suited to small and simple sites which contain little more than contact details, a short biography and perhaps some product information.

For a busier and more functional site which fully represents your business online, including ecommerce features (i.e. the ability to sell products and/or services on your site), professional web design companies are worth looking into. Competitive prices are available, and, whilst the cost will be considerable, you should rapidly find the site paying for itself because of increased traffic and a professional image which will encourage your visitors to trust you and buy from you.

In addition to strong site design, a professional designer can also advise you on search engine optimisation. Unsurprisingly, when people use a search engine to look for products or services, they rarely click beyond the first page, or at most, the second. Therefore gaining a high ranking in the search engines for the right keyword searches is very important if you want to gain traffic through people hunting for a service or product that you provide. Sites with more than just the sales pitch are most likely to attract search engines: you need good marketing copy which is rich in the keywords and keyphrases most closely related to your business. A professional designer can help you to choose the best keyphrases to target. You also need to make sure you that you turn your visitors into customers; clear "call to action" buttons and links on your site, such as a "Click Here to Buy" or "Email This Address For Further Information", can make a big difference. Make sure that your contact information is very clear and easy to find, as online browsers can be impatient with hard-to-find information.

For a website to be effective as a marketing and sales tool, it needs to be well-designed and to be promoted effectively both online and offline. Search engine optimisation, pay-per-click advertising and submitting your site to directories are all options worth considering, and don't forget to direct your existing customers to your site by putting your URL on stationery and in email signatures. A professional design company will have the technical and marketing experience to create a site for you that is easy to promote and attractive to your visitors.

By Natalie Catchpole

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