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by Samantha Botello
As the new year approaches and you finish preparing your 2010 business and marketing plans, it is important to not neglect your corporate website. Within seconds of arriving at your website, visitors will begin to make assumptions about your organization, and in some cases they will decide to leave your website immediately. Knowing this, do you think your website properly represents you and your business?
To help answer this question, you can use the following redesign checklist to evaluate your website and determine if it is time to consider an update.
My website:
- …does not align with my current business goals and strategy.
- …is made up of entirely static content.
- …has outdated information.
- …contains mistakes, typos, and broken links.
- …has not been updated in years.
- …does not render properly in the latest web browsers.
- …has a high visitor bounce rate (visitors hit your site and immediately leave).
- …is cluttered with flashing graphics, images, and content.
- …does not show up in Google or other search engines.
- …does not feature valuable, timely content such as blogs, newsletters, news releases, video, and white papers.
- …does not follow accessibility guidelines for people with disabilities.
- …is difficult to navigate.
- …is difficult to read (font style, size, color).
- …does not generate leads.
- …does not complement my online and offline marketing efforts.
If most or any of the above statements are true, it is definitely time to consider a website update or even a complete redesign. To be successful, your website should accurately reflect your corporate image and provide value to your target audience.
About the Author
Samantha Botello writes on behalf of Guidelight Business Solutions, an Austin-based web design and development firm focused on delivering exceptional solutions through Innovation from Software and Science. For more technology tips and insights, check out the Guidelight Business Solutions blog at http://www.guidelightsolutions.com/blog.