I know in Nigeria today, businesses are trying to get creative and cut costs wherever possible. Why not? As a business owner, I totally get that every naira saved is a naira in my pocket at the end of the month and could be useful elsewhere. For example, you probably know you won’t see much of a return on investment (ROI) if you buy the new ipad 5, when your ipad 4 still works well.

However, one thing we shouldn’t forget is the basic rule for entrepreneurial success, which still applies today, and that is “you have to spend money to make money.” Investing in a professionally-designed website is a crucial and integral part of any business and one of few investments with nearly unlimited ROI potential, and here are the reasons why:

Being in the Right place, at the right time

Being in the right place at the right time is crucial, whether an Internet user is conducting a broad search (i.e. event companies) or looking for something specific (i.e. Lagos event company). In fact, most searches start out on the Internet, and your presence during the buying process increases your chances of being considered at the actual time of purchase.

A professionally designed website inspires customer confidence

Have you ever gotten to a website, maybe from a Google search and clicked right out because it looked awkward or unprofessional, or maybe just “off?” Think about it. We as humans are visual creatures, and a top-notch web design gives customers the impression that you are trustworthy, professional and ready to do business. If your site drives people away, how then do you present to them what you have to offer and gain their trust for a second visit?

It’s the best way to spend your marketing budget

Out of all the advertising and marketing methods available to businesses, websites are one of the most effective, effiicient and inexpensive ways to create exponential growth and quickly increase visibility. Compared to other forms of advertising, a website is much cheaper but yields more results.

The Internet’s capacity to generate new clients is enormous. A search engine optimized site will attract new clients. By convincing these consumers online, you can incite them to visit your showroom and potentially turn them into clients.

An online presence expands your customer base

Let’s say you are in the business of selling pure honey. Instead of limiting yourself to selling locally, investing in a website allows you to market your product globally, which can exponentially increase your sales. With the right information on your website, you will start coming up in search engine results for keywords or phrases like “pure honey” or “want to buy honey.” This allows for an extremely targeted customer base (in this case, people interested in purchasing pure honey) to come right to you!

Brand Uniqueness

Unlike social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, your official website can represent your brand exactly as you want it to. Image, colours, style and layout can be chosen entirely by you, meaning your website will provide your audience with accurate reflection of what you’re about. You’re not bound by the constraints of using pre-loaded profiles or colour schemes so your website will be an individual, one of a kind representation of your business

Today, I quickly want to take you through some reality checks, or checklist, as it relates to your brand/business success especially on the internet.  These checklists will to a large extent boost your brand/business if  they are done correctly and while each check is a course on it’s own, I’ll just talk a few about each.

If you are ready, then I am. You could mentally or better still get a pen and a paper and tick a Yes or No to each one of these …,

• I’ve got a website that perfectly showcases what my brand/business is

Every business takes wings with the launch of a professionally designed website. The public presence of your website is the face of your business and gateway to increased sales. It has to reflect what your business is and does, clarity of message and what your values are. This is really important to keep in mind as increasing numbers of people search over the internet. The question now is, will they find you?

• My website has professional graphics, design layout and appears beautiful.

Somebody once said “Image is Everything” and another said “Picture speaks more than a thousand words” . Image is vital, it imprints your message in the mind of your site visitors.  It doesn’t need to be all slick and over-the-top but it needs to be professional enough to be engaging and evoke the trust of your site users.

• New people are visiting my website on a daily basis.

People, aka traffic, are crucial to your business. Obtain that traffic through various marketing techniques.

•  I sell products from my website.

You’re not only selling products but additionally the services you provide as well as your company.

•  I examine my site’s stats and know where my customers are coming from.

Understanding how people are finding your website means you are able to strengthen the weak areas or put additional time and resources in the strong areas.

•  I take advantage of social media and there are links on my site.

At the very least you’ll want to consider getting on Twitter and setting up a Facebook fan page for your brand.

•   I gather names and contact information of my site visitors in order to market to them in the future.

This really is huge! Offer something people want in exchange for email addresses  and you’ll have a targeted list of people who have an interest in what you are offering.

•  Other websites have links to my site.

This is what’s called back-linking and it helps your site get higher up within the search engine rankings. The higher your website sits in Google, the greater site visitors you get.

There are obviously more to these components stated above, which deserves more detailed report. However, the aim is just to find if you’re getting it right with your online business promotion. You need not feel bad in the event you marked several of these checks No. You’re one of many.  However, you can turn that around and make all of these “Yeses” and get ahead of  your competition.

Best regards.

Have you ever looked at a great website and analyzed what exactly is on it? This email talks about the extra pieces, besides the general writing, that make up a successful website.

One such “extra piece” is the use of videos. Not everyone likes to read so if you give your visual visitors something to look at, such as How To videos or a tour of your store, they’re more likely to stay around and see what you’re about.

An essential item for a website’s success is testimonials.  If you have happy customers, put their letters or emails on your site. Potential clients like to know that others have gone before them and are happy with what you provide. The testimonials can also be videos if you have people who prefer to do it that way.

Another very important element, besides the written words (also known as content), is the use of graphics. I’m talking about eye-pleasing photos, charts, and clip art pictures that draw focus, make the web page interesting, and break up what would be considered a lot of text.

This next one is simple, yet so many websites overlook it – contact information. There is nothing more frustrating than looking all over a website and not finding a way to contact the site owner.

On every page of the website there should be an address, phone number, and email address.  This is crucial to good customer service, and it makes a site look more legitimate and less suspicious.

More Resources:

Montreal Web Design

Good grief, not another thing you have to learn about and try to figure out when you’ve already got so much going on with your small business?!

Yet social media really is something you should give heavy consideration to using because social media can be really good for your business.

Here are just 7 of the reasons why:

1. You can give instant killer support. Turn your occasional unhappy customers into raving fans by dealing with them directly, quickly, and in a satisfactory manner.

2.  It offers ways to get your name out there and keep your name out there. Don’t get forgotten or left behind; offer discounts or limited-time offers or whatever works for your particular company. It’s all about branding.

3.  Social media also offers you a chance to show a bit of the face behind the brand. This means a lot to people.

4.  It’s another way to be found – you might not be found on the first page of a Google search if you’re a little guy competing against the big guys, but you can be seen when you use social media.

5.  Social media gives you targeted traffic.  The ones who stick around are the ones interested in your product and company.

6.  Consider social media a much less expensive way to advertise/market!

7.  It allows your customers a chance to communicate with you using their preferred method. Conversations are real and valuable.

If you need help setting up a Facebook fan page or want to know the social media do’s and don’ts, I’d be happy to help.  Please contact me with your needs and let’s get you benefiting from social media as soon as possible!

Regards.

Tunde Esun.

Wrong Tool…