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Create a website and Grow Your Business

by Tem Balanco

To create a website may seem like a daunting task, but the rewards can be great, especially for a business site. If you want to set up a website for a business, it can increase your exposure and possibly your customer base. There are some things, however, that you'll need to consider when you want to make your website. Take note of the following tips:

1.Establish the purpose of your site. Some online newcomers usually aren't very sure what they want to put on their site, so it helps to make a plan first. Is the site simply to give information about you and your business, so you can tell casual inquiries, "just look at my site"? Do you intend to do online transactions? Then you'll want to look into merchant account providers.

2.Don't put all of your information up front. Some people might still think of websites the way they think of space in a newspaper ad: they paid for the space, so they want to put as much information in it as possible to make their investment worthwhile. But also consider that your average user loses interest after reading only a few lines of text. A solid block of text, or long paragraphs that require the user to scroll down to read, will virtually guarantee that your information won't be read. If everything is well-presented and displayed with the client's comfort in mind, those big ugly text-filled pages shouldn't end up in your site.

For that same reason, keep your layout clean when you create a website. Avoid long blocks of text, especially text that will require your user to scroll down. You want them to see only the most important information, and then if they want to know more, give them other pages they can look at for further information. Organize your information into pages, and make separate sections for each. This will keep each page clean, and contain only the information pertinent to your clients' needs.

3.Readability is the key. To make your website easy to view, avoid using very bright colors as a background, or big fonts in several colors. Avoid large, brightly-colored letters (in net etiquette, large fonts and capitalizing all your letters is tantamount to screaming at people). Keep your site's color palette limited, and use colors that are easy to read text on. You want your user to keep on reading, so you want to make his experience as comfortable as possible.

4.Lastly, keep your site up-to-date. This is especially important is your business is in an industry where there are always new items and techniques. If you intend to create a website that will be updated often, you'll want to look into a dynamic site with a content management system. If, on the other hand, your site just lists information that won't change anytime soon, a simple static website will probably be a good idea.

An effective website for your business can be a good investment for both your time and money. But to create a website that's effective, you just have to remember: it's all about presentation. Your average user will have a short attention span, so make sure that you present your information in an orderly, concise manner. Keep it visually interesting, but don't go overboard. If your website looks good, users will be more likely to stick around and find out more about your company.

Published December 2nd, 2009

Filed in Business

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