HTML5

Geolocation

This feature of HTML5 is definitely an exciting one. With geolocation, you are able to determine the location of a user, based on where there ISP is located. That being said, wouldn’t it be nice to give them directions to your office based on their location – instead of them having to manually enter in both addresses. There are other uses for geolocation, of course, such as displaying a list of distributors in their area based on their location.

Video

With HTML5, it will be easier than ever to embed a video into your site; what’s great is that you won’t have to rely on a user having a third-party plug-in installed. Therefore, videos will be faster loading, can reach a larger audience, and can be indexed more effectively by search engines.

In-Content Editing

Take this into consideration: You are browsing your business’ website and you notice a few content errors on the page. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to log-in, and within a matter of seconds, update the content?  With in-content editing, it will be possible; you won’t have to learn any new software or know any new system to edit the page.

Search Engine Optimization

Although you might not see it, the code that makes your websites work has a profound effect on how search engines read your site. Cleaner, more streamlined code helps search engines index your site faster and more efficiently. In turn, your website has a better chance of climbing the search engine ranks.

CSS3

Less Code

By using CSS3, we can effectively create website elements with just a few lines of code, rather than a few different images. This does a few different things.

• It’s faster loading, so the user sees the page faster.  Along those lines, there are fewer requests to the server, thus resulting in less bandwidth requirements (ultimately saving you money).
• It helps screen readers parse the data easier. Since the reader doesn’t have to load images, it can speak the actual content more quickly to the user and make their experience better.

Rich User Experience

For newer browsers (Firefox, Safari, Chrome), the possibilities of the future are plentiful. However, browsers like Internet Explorer are still lagging behind in their support for these new technologies. That being said, “progressive enhancement” is an option; provide the newer browsers advanced code and features, while the older browsers (that don’t support them) still look nice & function properly, but don’t supply the new features.

Possible Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage to using these technologies at the current time is that not all browsers support every feature. Essentially, some users won’t see the advanced features that others can. However, this can be resolved, to a certain extent – by creating websites that are fully functional and work even if HTML5 & CSS3 isn’t supported. A great analogy is this: HDTV is sent to two TV’s. One TV supports HD, while the other doesn’t. Both TV’s display the same picture, but one is clearer and more rich. That being said, it’s only a matter of time before all browsers can support every feature of this new, exciting technology.

So – is your business capturing the full potential of the internet? Are you providing your users with the most feature rich, interactive options possible?

Know Your Audience
What are you communicating to whom? It will help you plan for what each audience type is expecting. People appreciate being spoken to in their own context.

Plan your Content
Now that you have your structure in place and your audience organized, re-examine how well they fit together. Do your clients use the same terms that you do for you products?

Avoid Jargon
If you must use industry jargon, provide a friendly and ever-present glossary. It is best to avoid it, however.

Call to Action
What do you want your audience/clients to do after they look at your products or review your services? Do not rely on the “Contact Us” to drive more clients to your doorstep. Tell them what you want them to do and provide them multiple ways of doing it immediately – email, phone number, chat, survey, etc are all good tools to keep the conversation with your prospects moving forward.

Maintain Relevance
The content on your website should be focused on your business. If you would like to include photos of you at the latest body building competition, setup a separate site and link to it – but keep them separate!

Contact Information
One of the most common items overlooked on a website is basic contact information. I recommend putting it on every page.

Plan for Accessibility
Make it a point to consider accessibility issues with your website. Read through http://www.section508.gov to understand how to make your website friendly to alternative reading devices and those with disabilities. Although the Section 508 standard is not a required for private businesses, it is a good guideline to follow.

Frequently Update
What is going on in your industry? In your business? Look into RSS feeds and blogs as ways to help you keep your content fresh. This will help with search engine placement but also a) communicate to your clients that you are paying attention to your industry and b) help establish your expertise in the field.

Utilize Multimedia
Can you show your product in action? Provide a video testimonial from one of your current clients? You’re your clients on a video tour of your facility? Done well, video and audio can provide an additional layer of content and familiarity that modern consumers appreciate.

First, write out a list of your audiences. Who do you want to talk to? Who are your customers? Keep it simple but thorough. Write down every type of person or job role that you want to sell to, communicate with or access in general. If you decide to be very specific with these different roles or audiences, they can also be divided into broad categories. You can organize “business owner,” “financial officer,” and/or “purchasing agent” into a more general category such as “decision maker.” However, understanding the difference between someone who is a “financial officer” but is not a “business owner” is important in some situations. You could also enlist the assistance of someone that does not completely understand your products – sometimes an outside perspective can provide brilliant insight. As part of defining your prospective audiences, note what products in which each specific audience would be most interested.

Wait. Aren’t we talking about making a website? Why are we not starting with developing a brand position and establishing a consistent awareness of that position through effective design and usability standards? That sounds like a lot of fun but hold off until you are organized. You cannot position you or your products with any clarity until you understand who will perceive that position. The understanding of your audiences will set the framework not only for the organization of your website and online marketing approach but also your identity and branding initiatives.

Second, review your products and write a 100 word general description of each. Then write a 100 word description of each product orientated to each of your relevant audience categories. These descriptions should of course, include functional information but should also include information on what specific situation it can solve for your earlier defined audiences. Sit in your audience’s chair and consider why. Why would they choose your product over your competitors? Why do they need it in the first place? Consider:

End user: “this will make your work easier”
Manager: “this will allow your workforce to be more efficient”
Financial Advisor: “this is cheaper than the competitors/will save you money”

Understanding this foundation relationship between your products and your audiences will help you determine the organization or your website and any related advertising plans.

Next, outline the information that will be distributed via your website. Focus on the breakdown of information in relationship to the audience delineation you have already defined. Your goal is to create multiple paths to access the same information. You may understand your audiences at this point but that does not mean they understand you. Give them multiple ways to find the same information. There is the ubiquitous “Products” navigation item but also include a site Search and consider Case Studies on specific products (targeted to specific audiences, ideally). Some products can best be described using the human element – a photo of one of your customers with a quote saying something to the effect, “this solved my problem.” Also, consider using questions to help your audiences find the information they need. Ask them, “Do you want to increase sales and save money?” Then link them to how you can help them do just that. Most importantly, organize your site for your audiences, not for you. Use acronyms only if they are common jargon. Make the information readily available, don’t bury it. At times you will only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention. After writing your detailed descriptions targeting your audience, create brief, to the point, summaries for the beginning of your detailed product.

Finally, consider the call to action. What do you want them to do? Do not make the user have to click on “Contact Us” in order to find your phone number. If you want them to call you, make sure your phone number is obvious and available. If you want them to email you, make it obvious. A Request for Proposal (RFP) form can be the greatest sales tool you have. Discuss your products, talk about the features and options and then provide a link (yes, from every page) to a simple RFP form. It does not have to cover everything – just enough to get the conversation started.

With proper planning and organization your website can become an effective sales tool. When in doubt, hire an expert to bounce ideas off of and help focus your intentions.