The Audit – Is My Website the Problem? 02/06/2009

One of the things that no one ever tells you when you are setting up a website for your business is that no matter how much you spend now in two years time your website will most likely be a dinosaur. Web sites should be considered as disposable commodities. Over capitalisation in site design and architecture is one of the biggest obstacles that can confront web marketers. Poor choices can limit the ability for a business to realise the true potential of the website as a marketing channel.

Consider the following…

• Search engines are the primary means via which people that don’t know your brand will locate your business. Successfully getting listed for relevant keyword searches in Google is largely dependant upon site structure and content organisation and wording. Google is a fickle mistress and can change its listing criteria on a whim. If your site content and key structures are set in stone your web marketing may be hamstrung.

• Your website is a business tool not a canvass for frustrated digital artists. Loading speeds matter. Business imperatives should trump design aesthetics on most occasions. Over design kills and online there is nothing sadder than a beautiful corpse.

• Think about how your site will be used not just how it will be seen. Not all business sites need to be e-commerce portals, but they should at least provide information of value to a visitor that may ultimately be converted into a sale. Does it make it easier for someone to contact your sales team, research a product, see the latest specials, or find a store near them? I have encountered businesses that spend more on their Yellow Pages advertising than on their entire web budget and yet still leave the phone number off the website. Control over content is central to this. Only pigeons like stale bread and they shit on statues.

• Database interaction is one of the most important functions that your website will carry out, however certain structures and platforms will freeze out search engines or browser types. Dynamic query strings in URL’s are often one of the major impediments to accurate Google indexing and can kill viral marketing cold. Who is going to click on a 200 character link sent to them in Facebook, assuming that line wrapping doesn’t destroy the link altogether?

So the first lesson with web marketing is to learn how to appraise your website dispassionately. The second lesson is learning when to stop the navel gazing. Running business online is a continual game of compromise and trade off. Brand impact versus load speed, search optimisation versus readability, security versus flexibility, and optimisation versus turd polishing. You can always find tweaks if you look hard enough. There is no one perfect solution but there definitely is a difference between being roadworthy and un-roadworthy.