Meeting Web Customer Needs

Most business web sites are not meeting the needs of their customers, their prospective customers or requirements of search engines, as well as they should.

How and why did this happen? Overestimation by web designers and web site owners of each other's knowledge of business, on the Web.

"But wait" you say, "we have a great looking web site and sales are improving all the time". The problem is, you don't know what you don't know.

Web design firms are staffed by graphics designers and programmers, generally very inexperienced in business, including Internet business. Knowing how to design and build web sites does not mean they understand how to successfully operate a business through the Internet.

Web site owners understand their bricks and mortar businesses and assume their developers:

• are Internet business experts
• understand the best way to to build the site so as to maximize customers and sales
  

But developers rarely have the level of knowledge the web site owners assume. Indeed, it is not their job. Would you expect the architect (designer) of your office building to expertly advise you how to run your normal (bricks and mortar) business? Your web design house is expert at web site design, not at operating YOUR web business.

The results are websites that can never maximize sales and profits. As an example, that animated graphic on your home page is stunning - right? But how good is it if it turns off customers and visitors because of the time it takes for the page to download. "But wait" you say, "we solved that problem by having a "Skip Intro" button". No you didn't - that's still an extra step potential customers resent having to take, to try and do business with you. Worse still, the animated graphic causes search engines to choke and not index your site. So now you have also limited your ability to generate new traffic. This is one of many common mistakes.

The Internet is a growing, rapidly changing and dynamic market place. A successful web business requires application of the same fundamental business principles as a successful bricks and mortar business, however the techniques utilised, are different. And they are changing rapidly.

One solution is to employ the services of an expert web business consultant, who can help you make your site a winner.