E-newsletter 1

Introduction

Welcome to this first issue of Web-Inspirations.

Having built web sites, and having viewed many more, I've come to the conclusion that a web site is somewhat like a dog, sitting in its kennel, wagging its tail, looking hopeful and doing very little else. It's all very well having a web site, but unless people know about it, can find it and it contains useful information, then your web site investment will be largely wasted. This and future e-newsletters, will provide you with:

• Ideas for improving the use of your web site.
• Ideas for web sites and e-mails.
• Interesting snippets about web sites.

Kind Regards,
Pierre Woolridge
Web Site Developer

In This Issue

E-mail Signatures

Content for the Web

Web Site Re-design – Where To Start

Next Issue Topics

E-mail Signatures

One of the most popular forms of business communications is e-mail. E-mails are sent to clients, customers, suppliers, …… One of the fundamentals of marketing is surely to "make it easy for your customers to do business with you".

Yet how often do you receive business e-mails that lack useful contact information? Sure, the e-mail address is contained in the e-mail, and the sender's (first) name is to be found in the body of the e-mail, but what if you wish to speak to the sender, or you wish to check out their web site, or visit the firm at some stage, or send a physical item?

In a competitive market, it's important to make it easy for people to contact you. Having a mobile phone, a web site, a PO Box and so on is a good start. But don't force people to have to reach for the phone book or use the (e-mail software) address book. Help them to work smarter not harder.

Place your contact details on each and every e-mail sent to you clients and suppliers. Just as organisations place their contact details on stationary (letterhead, business cards), so too on e-mails.

It's fairly easy to add your contact details to the e-mail software. Once done then the software can be instructed to automatically add your contact details (signature) to every outward bound e-mail. To find out how to do it, click on the Help section of your e-mail software and key in "signature".

Note. So as not to distract from the main message, it is recommended that the signature text be of a smaller font size.

PS. Add colour to draw attention to the telephone number. Or use colour to differentiate between personal and company contact details.

Content for the Web

Writing for the web is easy. You grab the text from your brochure and dump it into the web site along with the images.

Wrong.

Writing for a web site requires a different approach. As with any marketing, "know your customer". Or in the case of a web site, "know your viewer".

Viewers tend to be impatient; they give up quickly if there are down load delays. This is potentially bad news.

It means that you must keep pictures and graphics to the minimum - both in number and quality.

Viewers scan web site pages when they first enter a page.

• So make the text easy to read.
• Pay attention to how the text is organised.
• Avoid large columns of text as it makes for difficult reading on screen.
• Do not be afraid of white spaces.
• "Chunk" text into logical bite-size blocks.
• Use headings, and sub headings, as a clear guide for the content in each block.
• Make use of bullet points and numbered lists.
• And above all, make sure that you use words and phrases your target market uses.

Web Site Re-design – Where To Start

You've got a web site. But it's looking tired, your ideas have evolved, the world of web sites has moved on, your clients/customers are looking for something different.

You've concluded that a re-design of the web site would be in order. You have some great ideas, and are keen to get on with the re-design.

But wait a moment. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Make use of your existing site. You have a site that has been effectively working, and is complete with clients. It's a great prototype. So rather than rushing ahead with the re-vamp, look carefully at the existing web site.

• Analyse it to discover what works and what doesn't work.
• Learn from the existing site.
• Pick out the best bits.
• If there are features that work well, then incorporate them into the re-design.

Once you have completed the design analysis, then you are ready to get moving.

Next Issue Topics

• The Beginnings of a Web Marketing Plan
• Web Site "Tune Ups"
• Developing a E-Newsletter

- We welcome your feedback.

- We are interested in suggestions for topics to cover.

- Should you wish to reproduce one of the articles contained here please do. All we require is an acknowledgement of the source with a link to our web site.

- Previous e-Newsletters.