..before purchasing a website

Businesses that suddenly realize they need a more effective website face a dilemma – do they spend a small fortune and hire a professional ad agency? Or risk disastrous results and engage students? Thankfully, there is a happy medium.

The most important first step is unfortunately, the very first step - choose the right interactive agency to create and launch your enterprise’s web identity. What’s the secret? Hire a design firm that understands internet marketing. Their service should be ‘a good fit’ with the right fusion of skills to design and implement the perfect solution for your needs. After that hurdle, there are eight more things to think about as you ensure the website that’s designed and created speaks to your audience. Think of the website’s homepage as your company’s new front door – a visitor MUST be impressed.

Some very bright people at LifeCapture Interactive have isolated the eight most common flaws of corporate websites. Perhaps these can be held up as beacons to consider when steering your company’s presence into the new frontier.

The best websites properly communicate brand message, streamline backend business functionality, capitalize on ecommerce opportunities and facilitate new partnerships as they inform and sell to the public twenty four hours a day.

Eight common mistakes

The worst websites have these eight most common mistakes:

Confusing layouts and bad structure. Cluttered domains confuse consumers and the only thing they’ll search for is the way out. Simple secure architecture like PūrNav™ is always recommended to streamline functionality. In a matter of seconds the online consumer will judge your website - the decision to stay or leave is made in a moment. Your site must hook these fickle nomads and direct them toward information that really interests them as it separates potential consumers away from the pack. This is exactly why Lifecapture Interactive has developed PūrNav™. Here is a proven system to maximize profit and you’re your guests focused on your products

Generic or unattractive appearance. More and more consumers research products online. Eighty percent (80%) of consumers that use the web in this fashion will make their purchase decisions at their favorite site and buy online. Therefore your website could be your company’s all important ‘first contact’ with your customers. The axiom holds – you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Whether visitors stay to learn more, or leave your site to visit your competitors depends on their satisfaction level. LifeCapture Interactive designs sites with one major factor in mind, sell the consumer while they are forming their first impression. It should be love at first sight. High functionality keeps audiences interested, excited and integrated with your brand.

Unfocused content. The best sites speak to a target demographic and maximize sales in that market sector. Inexperienced web designers lack the marketing communications knowledge needed to help their clients speak directly to all possible demographic groups. LifeCapture Interactive has built in marketing expertise and always performs detailed market analysis to define the landscape in which your products or services compete – this data is scrutinized and solutions are selected to best position your brand against your competition regardless of size.

Lost in Cyberspace. It’s no secret that even the best and most expensive websites need to be properly marketed and optimized for searches. If nobody knows where to find your company’s website, nobody will visit. Successful online ventures are integrated with innovative marketing plans that often feature an outside push. Sometimes the outside push happens online, and sometimes both online and offline media reinforce a new website’s presence on the internet. As a marketing communications company, LCI helps clients with Search Engine Optimization and innovative e-marketing strategies.

Slow boring service. The internet is quickly becoming a high speed community. Yes it is still important to use traditional technologies to ensure surfer’s satisfaction, however it is increasingly advantageous to give viewers more than just a website. They want an experience similar to what they might have encountered from a good sales person at the store. Your site can accomplish this through rich media, and it can be done for less money than you may think.

Low backend functionality. The best websites streamline business; they take automated orders, answer customers’ most frequently asked questions and thereby ease the noon-2pm bottleneck phone calls. This is how good websites provide good customer service, and facilitate distributor relationships, strengthen sales force support, and so much more. The right media firm will help you maximize the web for all your corporate needs, streamlining your business, increasing revenue and/or find ways to utilize today’s technology to save money.

Poor brand experience. Your website MUST convey a rich brand experience and allow consumers the opportunity to interact with your brand. Online commercials add brand credibility, provide transparency, demonstrate functionality and convey lifestyle attributes. Streaming video sells product. Animation is an excellent way to demonstrate the scientific concepts and make competitor comparisons. Interactive elements add a level of excitement and enthusiasm to sales demonstrations. Providing forums and interactive components builds community interaction and brand loyalty.

Outdated sales modules. E-commerce shopping carts are, for the most part, obsolete. Websites still using them are not maximizing conversion rates. Fact: Online sales have grown by two billion dollars over the past two years; however, not that many new online retailers have emerged in that time. For the most part those profits were reaped by companies that have been doing business on the web since 2004. Of these, the most innovative companies have realized the best incomes. LCI will customize your e-commerce solution with an eye on innovation by, for example, adopting the newest and most effective one page carts.

Choosing the right interactive agency will help maximize your marketing dollar and thereby create the most impact – this translates into the highest revenue generating web experience possible. Set up a free consultation with one of our representatives, contact LCI at:

Lifecapture Interactive
tel. 416-408-4669
info@lifecaptureinc.com
www.lifecaptureinc.com