| 1. Tell people you have a siteThis might seem | | | | programme your site; people won't return if they |
| blindingly obvious, but it's remarkable the number | | | | know your pages take several minutes to load.3. |
| of people that don't promote their Web site | | | | Register your Web site with search enginesMore |
| addresses. Every piece of your business literature | | | | than half of site visits are via search engines, so |
| that is put before customers and prospects | | | | don't underestimate their influence on how many |
| should contain your site's address, from stationery | | | | visitors your site will get.You may find companies |
| (letterheads, business cards, compliments slips, | | | | that offer to submit your site to hundreds of |
| faxes and invoices) to marketing collateral | | | | search engines; there is even software that can |
| (brochures, price lists and packaging).If you use | | | | do this for you. There are really only four or five |
| email, set up a signature that will appear at the | | | | major search engines that you need to consider |
| end of every message you send. This should | | | | (ask yourself how many search engines you can |
| contain your name, position, your company's | | | | name and how many you actually use). Many of |
| name, phone number(s) and, of course, your Web | | | | the others are just ways to surreptitiously get |
| address. Email me at signature@nigelgordijk.co.uk | | | | your email address, which you can pretty much |
| and you'll receive a signature example template in | | | | guarantee will become inundated with spam |
| an automatic reply.2. Encourage repeat | | | | (unsolicited email).To increase your chances of a |
| visitsResearch has shown that many customers | | | | high ranking in search engines, make sure that |
| decide if they wish to do business with a | | | | pages contain plenty of relevant text-based |
| company after they have visited its Web site | | | | information. Mostly, this is what they store in their |
| seven times. Here are simple ways to encourage | | | | indexes and base their results on. For example, if |
| repeat visits:Keep it up-to-date. Nothing | | | | you search on Google for "web design brighton" |
| discourages visitors more than a site that is | | | | my site appears on the first page. At the time of |
| clearly not maintained regularly. Make sure that | | | | writing, my homepage is number five in the |
| company information is current, including contact | | | | results, with my company ranked third highest on |
| details, personnel listings and prices.Make it easy to | | | | the list. "Brighton web design" ranks me at |
| use. If your site is poorly designed and relevant | | | | number one overall. Not bad for a one-man |
| content is difficult to find, then no-one will be | | | | firm!Email me at signature@nigelgordijk.co.uk and |
| bothered to waste time looking for it. Web users | | | | you'll receive a signature example template in an |
| are notoriously impatient, so make sure pages are | | | | automatic reply.Nigel Gordijk ( based in Brighton, |
| clearly laid out and links (including navigation) is | | | | England and is an accomplished, independent Web |
| simply worded. If you have a particularly large | | | | consultant with over 16 years' design industry |
| site, consider having your own search engine on it | | | | experience. His Web site designs are noted for |
| to make information easier to find.Make it quick. | | | | their ability to engage users and their ease of use. |
| More and more people are using high-speed | | | | His client list includes BP International, Thomson |
| broadband connections but a significant number | | | | Holidays, Honda, Ladbrokes and No 10 Downing |
| are still using slower dial-ups to access the | | | | Street. |
| Internet. Consider this when you design and | | | | |