5 STEPS TO EFFECTIVELY REDESIGN YOUR WEBSITE

If it has been a while since you designed your website, or the site doesn’t seem to be attracting the same level of interest among customers and prospects, it may be time to refresh it. The following 5-step plan may help.

1. Determine who will lead the redesign effort. Look beyond your in-house Internet/Web technicians and/or consultants to advise you about your next redesign. For a redesign you may want to consider some more independent ideas from others in the field to get different and fresh ideas, not burdened with the ties to the past.

2. Consult Stakeholders. Your redesign should start by asking questions of others, especially customers, about how they would change the website if they could. By gathering ideas of others up front, you will have better insight in to what changes will benefit current as well as future stakeholders.

3. Set measurable and realistic goal. Because a single website can not be all things to all people, it is important to first determine what the primary purpose of the website is. Knowing this will help in setting appropriate goals for your redesigns.

Determine what you want the redesign of your website to accomplish. For example, do you want to improve the site’s stickiness (how long viewers stay on the site before clicking off)? Improve the site’s searchability (ranking with major search engines)? Add functionality (map and directions, printable coupons, contact forms, etc.)?

Once you have goals in mind, write them down. Undocumented, ill-defined goals provide no focus or direction for the redesign effort. You need enough detail for the effort to get started, allowing your web developers to bring their creativity and expertise to the task.

4. Get the talent from either in-house or an outside vendor. Graphics, web development, quality assurance, end-user interface, search optimization, and other factors should be considered. You need to ensure that the web development team has the skills necessary to accomplish your redesign goals.

5. Understand the latest technologies and how they can help. Technology is constantly changing. The current rage seems to be social networking, flash, audio, and video. None of these technologies were in the forefront two years ago and you can bet there will be other technologies on the back-burner that will be the buzz a year or two from now. Remember that there is accost to employing the latest technologies; costs involving money, time and performance. While your website may not need to employ expensive, top-of-the-line technologies, be sure it doesn’t appear to customers that your website is stagnant or outdated while your competitors’ sites are zooming past.

Know when not to redesign. If your stakeholders say your website is fine the way it is, you have had few if any complaints, and it is cost-effective and functional as is, then a redesign probably isn’t needed at this time. You should however, periodically check with key clients to determine the effectiveness of your website.

Usual Costs. As noted in a recent Info-Tech Research Group (an IT research and consulting company) report, an effective website redesign can cost upwards of $5,000 or more. Costs however vary widely depending on the type of redesign and technologies used. The report also noted to be wary of redesign bids that sound completely unreasonable for your requirements.

For many companies, their websites are their store windows and it is important that their websites convey the brand image desired. If it doesn’t, consider a well defined and expertly developed redesign, and reap the rewards.

Based on an 6/14/10 Phila. Inquirer article

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

Back in April of 2009, I posted an article entitled “Spring Cleaning Your Website” on this Blog. Well, I am here to say that I am finally practicing what I preach. When I started APT Web Design (AWD), one of the first websites that I produced was one for my own business (apt-webdesign.com); the site was launched in September of 2006. Well, that was three and a half years ago and only now have I finally gotten around to updating that website.

Since APT Web Design has been in business, about 50% of our clients had existing websites and for various reasons wanted a do-over. Interestingly, two clients actually wanted to drop eCommerce from their sites because they said it was more hassle than it was worth. Of the clients desiring a facelift for their websites, the look-and-feel of their sites had not been updated for an average of three to four years. That puts me right on average for a do-over.

It was not that I was unhappy with the look and feel of the AWD website, I just knew it was time to make some changes and in doing so, provide, as minimal as it is, a somewhat different look and feel. I retained the same basic color scheme, but went from a rounded-corner layout to a bordered-box format. Since I started thinking about a website refresh, other changes came to mind. I also broke out my blog-link and affiliate links from being buried on the About Us page to a link in the main menu on every page. And, I added an FAQ page to hopefully make more information about websites and how AWD operates to both current and prospective clients.

So now, having completed my modest website make, I have both a sense of accomplishment as well as the satisfaction that I indeed have practices what I’ve preached.

Take a look: apt-webdesign.com

      :~) Les..

It’s a scary world out in the World Wide Web

Here Are the Top 20 Shocking Scam Tricks:

• Email scams: One in 304 emails that are sent to us contains a virus and one in 404 is a phishing message.


• A scan of 22 million PCs by security firm Panda Labs in the second quarter of 2009 showed that just short of 12 million of them were infected. There's no way of knowing, but if the same proportion applies elsewhere, that means over half of PCs worldwide could be infected with viruses, Trojans, spyware and other malware. The biggest single category of infection is by banking Trojans and password stealers.


• The most phished organizations (that is, those who were targeted or used in phishing scams) are, not surprisingly, banks and credit unions. But this year, according to a spam/scam study called Project Honeypot, the social networking site Facebook, currently in second slot behind J P Morgan Chase, is predicted to become the biggest single vehicle for phishing.


• According to the Consumer Federation of America, one third of all adults have at some time been approached with scams (as distinct from, say, having their identity stolen). Lottery cons are the most common, followed by bogus grants and work-at-home schemes.


• The typical victim of a lottery money scam loses around $3,000, usually for supposed tax, administration or Customs fees, while those who fall for advance fee scams lose, on average, up to $4,000. The average identity theft victim gets taken for $5,000.


• Scammers profile their victims -- they know who makes the best target. For instance, a woman aged 70-plus is the most common target for a lottery scam, while a man in the 55-61 age range is the most common investment fraud victim. However, the age group that attracts the most scams is the 30-39 year olds.


• Almost two-thirds of people incorrectly believe a check is valid if a bank pays out funds on it. (It's not, and if the check subsequently bounces, the account holder is responsible for repaying any money they withdrew.)


• On average, 3,500 new sites harboring malware are set up every day. Online security experts McAfee reckon there are now more than 1.2 million different types of Internet malware.


• Up to 45,000 people contact the Federal Trade Commission -- the US agency responsible for preventing and halting consumer fraud -- with complaints every week.


• In 2008 -- the last year for which full records are available -- 275,000 Americans told the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center they had been scammed out of a total of $265 million. Non-delivery of merchandise and auction fraud accounted for 60% of this.


• However, this is only the tip of an iceberg. 10 million people were said to be victims of identity theft, losing more than $48 billion -- yes, that's "billion" -- a year. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a total of 30 million Americans ages 18 and older, or 13.5% of the U.S. adult population, were victims of consumer fraud of one type or another during a one-year period.


• Half of all identity thieves in a recent study came from a middleclass background, had a college education and an otherwise conventional lifestyle. Most of them had jobs and their main motivation was to buy luxuries. In other words, they're not all serial crooks or drug addicts.


• More than 3,000 fraudulent IRS tax agency websites were taken offline by law enforcement action last year. And, in 2005, before Hurricane Katrina even made landfall, there were 200 phony Katrina aid websites. In a recent intervention, the Nigerian Government shut down 800 fraudulent sites.


• 79% of all email in the US is spam. But the nation is only Number 7 in the spam league. Britain comes top with 94%, then China (90%), Hong Kong (89%), Australia (88%), Japan (86%), and Germany (83%). The Netherlands is 8th (78%) followed by Canada (77%).


• China is the world's biggest spammer, accounting for more than 11% of messages, followed by Brazil, the US and Turkey. Most spams are sent out by compromised "zombie" PCs whose owners are unaware they are being used -- up to 400,000 zombie machines are activated every day. In the US, California is the most prolific state as a source of spam.


• An estimated total of 125 trillion spam messages have been sent out in the past five years, says Project Honeypot. Monday is the busiest day for spam, and Saturday the least busy. 8am EST sees the highest volume during any day.


• In a survey by the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group, one third of North American Internet users admitted they've replied to spam. The most common excuse is that they did it in error but some confessed either interest in the product or just wanting to see what happened.


• An estimated 40% of Internet users enter the same password for every protected site they visit.


• The scam ratio for work-at-home jobs posted online is 59:1. In other words, out of every 60 advertised jobs, only one is genuine.


• Almost 200 million phone numbers are listed on the "do not call" register but last year alone more than 7 million people complained that telemarketers called them anyway. Arizona has, proportionate to the population, the highest level of complaints and Colorado has the highest proportion of registrations.
  To register or for more information, visit the Do Not Call site.

Not a pretty picture is it? But it's not all gloom and doom. Thousands of organizations, including Scambusters, official government agencies and crime fighting groups have joined the battle against online fraud.

Taken from ScamBusters,org Report Issue #375, 02-17-10

Some Tips to Get Repeat Visitors to your Website

Getting traffic to your website is hard work and can be expensive. So it's cost-effective to get repeat visitors not only first time visitors. Getting repeat visitors is all about giving value to your visitors. You need to give them what they ask for, what they are searching for, and then dazzle them when they get to you. That way, they will come back for more time and again.

So how can you please your visitors so they return to your site?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Keep your site fresh; update the content on your frequently. Dormant sites are dropped by some search engines as well, which will reduce all your traffic anyhow.

2. Offer extra value to your visitors; you can identify related complementary sites and put links to these additional products and services. Ask those sites to do the same for you. You can also advertise books and videos that relate to your business and are not in competition with your own offers. And, you can offer printable discount or special offer coupons that your website visitors can use.

3. Encourage your visitors to bookmark your site; provide a button that will pre-fill an “Add to Favorites” on your visitors’ PC.

4. Add a link to your blog or other social networking site. Blogs or other social networking sites can draw visitors if you are willing to provide content to these.

5. Brand your website with a friendly, attractive scheme, so that visitors always recognize when they are on your site's pages. Use a clear logo and consistent 'look and feel'. Always include a 'Contact Us' link in your navigation bar.

6. Create a 'Terms and Conditions' page that clearly defines your business principles. Have a privacy policy too, so visitors know what happens to their data on your site and that they are secure from spam when they opt-in.

7. Create a Frequently Asked Questions page which answers most of the concerns about your business, product or services that people generally ask. This helps to allay the main doubts people have when they first visit your website.

8. Use clear titles and keywords and a clear navigation so that your visitors can find their way back to your site if they lose their bookmark.

Visitors will come back if they like your products and see that your site is fresh and even more so if there's a different offer from time to time.

Based on info from Jay Allyson - Pro Marketing Consultant

PROVERBS /For some levity after a tough winter/

Half of those reading this will probably believe only a third of what they read)

1. A day without sunshine is like night.

2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

4. 99 percent of Politicians give the rest a bad name.

5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

6. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.

10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

13.. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?

15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

19. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

20. Why do psychics have to ask you your name?

21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the hell happened?

22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.

23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

24. Life isn't like a box of chocolates. It's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your butt tomorrow.

--= Source: Unknown =--

SOME TIPS FOR CREATING A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE

STEP 1: Start by creating a basic road map that will set the tone for what you’re doing. Keep in mind that this is an evolutionary process. In the beginning, don’t try to be Amazon.com. (It took them years to become a powerhouse on the Internet.) Grandiose visions are fine, but you need to build up to realizing them. Walk before you run; start small and grow big.

STEP 2: Determine what tools you need to help drive the right traffic to your site. The web is a very competitive space—today there are over 11 billion web pages, so you need to be strategic in deciding what works best for you and your website objectives. Some of these tools include search engine marketing, e-mail marketing and search engine optimization. Also, now’s the time to decide how and where you’re going to spend your (limited) marketing budget.

STEP 3: How will you determine what’s working on your site and what isn’t? Some industry best practices will work for you; others may need some tinkering. Deciding how to measure your ROI (return on investment) and other crucial metrics is key to the success of your business. The best way to find this out is through website traffic reports, but you should listen to your customers as well. They will let you know what market tactics are working for you, what ones aren’t, and how to improve your results.

STEP 4: Apply what you learn from your metrics. These include page views, length of visits, site traffic volume and trends, and you should study them to improve your site’s content, navigation and performance. This enables you to offer a better experience to your visitors.


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10 THINGS YOUR SITE MUST HAVE

Getting these ten things right will help you impress customers and compete more effectively with larger businesses. When customers visit your website, they want information instantly. If they can’t find what they are looking for, they can get frustrated pretty quickly and leave, or worse they could go looking for one of your competitors to find what they need. It is important to keep the user experience in mind, meaning you need to find a balance between your need to promote your business and your customer’s need to get the information they want.

So just what are customers looking for when they come to your site? Here, in no particular order, are the top 10 things customers are trying to find on your website:

1. Contact Information, such as phone numbers, email addresses, and physical location.


2. Product Information, which means in-depth information on the products or services you provide, including prices.


3. Samples of your products or previous work.


4. Support, including product information, troubleshooting help, FAQs, etc.


5. Shopping, it is important for your customers to quickly find out how to purchase products, be it online or at a physical location where your products are being sold.


6. Company Information, such as background information on the business and the management team.


7. News and announcements, including press releases and updated product or service enhancements.


8. Employment opportunities.


9. Back Home, an easy way to get back to your home page where all paths begin in the customer’s mind.


10. Simple Navigation that makes all these other items easy to find.

And AS A BONUS, don’t ever forget that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Use them liberally throughout your website, especially to break up large amounts of text.


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