Things you need to know about Websites and the dangers of SEO

The internet is a large place and finding relevant information can be like, coining the old phrase, trying to find a needle in a haystack. Everyone wants to be, and should be, part of the web and now is as good a time as any to get into it.

But where do you start? What do you need? How much do you need to spend and with whom? There are plenty of web designers, developers, SEO consultants, Online Marketing professionals, Hosting companies, Domain Name registrants, Domain Name Servers, www this and .com that out there, but where to start. I want to give you some pointers based on my experience in this field in the last three years.

If you are a company who currently doesn’t have a website, then my advice at this stage is to read on and strongly consider getting one. Having somewhere online for potential customers to find you is as important as advertising in the Yellow Pages, radio or television these days as there are people like me who don’t have the Yellow Pages, who never listen to the radio and find everything they need online and if you are not there, you won’t get found. Simple as that. Do not consider the web as a ‘fad’ that will die soon and thus should be considered as unimportant, that is simply not true.

It may also be worth considering finding somebody or a company who will manage all of what I am just about to delve into as there is more than meets the eye when it comes to owning a website. Having one point of contact for your website is probably the best thing you will do.

The very first thing you should do is decide on a domain name. www.YOURCOMPANYNAME.co.uk is a good place to start if you are a company in the UK, or www.YOURORGANISATIONNAME.org.uk if you are an organisation or charity in the UK. You need to register this with a Domain Name registrant. Nominet is a good place to start at this point – they should guide you through this stage.

Next thing is to get it designed / developed. My advice here is to listen to your chosen Web Designer / Developer in what they have to say. They know the web better than you do and if you want your site to have maximum impact, take on board their advice. By all means contribute if you have an overall marketing strategy and brand colours are to be used – this of course is essential in any marketing strategy.

On that point, lets talk a little about Online Marketing. Do not assume that as soon as you have a site up and running you will instantly get visitors. Time needs to be spend registering it with the search engines and the designer or developer should spend time optimising the site so that it is properly indexed by the search engines (SEO). The cost of this should be rolled into the design of the site – if you do not consider this then you are missing some big opportunities. Also, check to see if your suppliers have a reseller directory on their site and get onto them! Especially if they are well known brands. Consider social media marketing, such as Facebook and Twitter, but only if if that will work in your line of business – it may not, so don’t just go creating pages and twitter feeds if you are not going to use them or you feel they won’t help.

If you intend on having a News or a Blog, do keep it updated. No one likes visiting a site where the last News or Blog post was made 6 months ago! How unloved is that?

My warning about using SEO companies

If you already own a website and it is not doing a lot for you, please take away these very important words – do NOT fall for the promises Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) companies will make, and for the love of god, do not pay for it. For the cost of having “SEO consultancy” and SEO work performed on your site, oh and by the way you will need to sign for a 6 month – 12 month contract because thats how they tie you in, you might as well have a total overhaul of the website, redesigned, properly marketed and still have money left to manage your online presence. Peoples perceptions on what they are looking for from a website change year in year out and it is the designers job to ensure your site is not only keeping up with the changing trends of online life, but that your site is constantly Search Engine friendly.

Don’t get me wrong – you need SEO, you need online marketing, but ensure that this is done when the website is designed and ensure it is properly managed on a monthly basis.

In summary:

• If you cannot delegate the task of looking after your website within the company, have one point of contact who will manage your website for you, from setup, to hosting, to design, to management.
• Keep your site up to date, manage it properly and change when visitors expectations change. This way, you will never need to pay thousands and thousands of pounds on “SEO” – ensure all of the core “SEO” tasks are performed during the initial design and development of your website.
• As with anything in this world, the more time and money you put into something, the more effective it will be. Do not think a £50 do it yourself website will bring in hundreds or thousands of pounds of sales into your company – it won’t.