How to Plan a Great Website
by Rich Matheson, Founder of Delphinus Web Design

A lot of businesses really want to get a website, but have no idea what to do with it.  Many business owners want a website because they "think they should", but don't give it much more thought than that.  Hopefully, this document will give you some general ideas of what a website should include, and I've included a few industry-specific topics that may give you some ideas for your own business.

The Bare Essentials

First of all, I should qualify this by saying you should never go for the bare minimum.  A website that has the same information as everyone else's but with different phone numbers doesn't stand out.  It's not likely to gain you any more business, and visitors to your site will think you just got a website because that's the thing to do in the 21st century.  A website that impresses visitors with its great looks and user-friendly interface is much more likely to get a response.  That said, here's a list of stuff your website should absolutely have:

Your Company Name and Logo

Your company name, obviously, should appear on the site.  If you have a logo, it should be featured prominently on the site.  If you don't have a logo, you may want to think about having one made. Not only can a custom logo give your website more authority, but the logo can be used on business cards, letterhead, brochures, and other media to give your company great continuity of image.

"About Us" Information

People want to know the people with whom they're doing business.  As far as they're concerned, unless you tell them otherwise, your company is just a faceless entity on their computer monitor.  They have no incentive to choose you over your competition unless you give it to them.  An "About Us" page helps put a face on your organization.  Tell them a brief history of your company.  Mention how long you've been in business.  You may even want to include a list of qualifications you have on this page.  Also, pictures help a lot.  Have a picture of your office, or of your employees, or both!

Contact Information

This is probably the most important thing on the entire site.  Give people a way to contact you.  Your phone number, mailing address, FAX number, and e-mail address should be instantly accessible to your site's visitors.  You should definitely have a Contact page that lists all of this information.  In addition, you may want to have your contact information listed somewhere in the layout of the site, on every single page.  Many people put it along the bottom of the site in fine print.  Some choose to have it in the upper right-hand corner.  The key is to have a way for someone to contact you immediately, no matter where they are on your site.  If they see something that strikes a nerve and makes them want to buy something, set up an appointment, or contact you for any reason, you need to give them that opportunity and make it as simple as possible.  The more of a pain it is to contact you, the less likely they are to do it.

The Good Stuff

Don't stop there!  As I said, those three things are not by any means enough.  Everyone has the information listed above on their websites, and if they don't, they're already at a disadvantage.  The key now is to build upon the bare essentials and build a truly unique site that gives the competition a run for its money.  You may have to take some time out with a notepad and brainstorm some ideas.  There are a few questions you should ask yourself, and then jot down the answers:

• What makes my business different from everyone else's?
• If I were a potential customer of my business, what would I want to see on the site?
• What does my competitor's website lack?
• Is there any message I want to send to potential customers?  What is that message?
• What is the primary goal of this website: to gain new customers or support existing customers?

In this context, I've used the generic term "customers", but you can change this to be "patients", "fans", "parishioners", or whatever group you serve.  The type of business you do will have an effect on whatever you choose to do with your site.  Try not to get "painted into a corner" with regard to your website.  This is, and should be, a fun and exciting experience for you.  There's no rule that says you have to do things a certain way; just remember not to get too wild.  Something that's TOO unique could scare people off.  Here are a few ideas:

Contact/Information Forms

This is a great way for people to contact you.  Simply ask a list of questions, the visitor fills out the answers, and hits "Send".  The results are sent directly to your e-mail.  You can also send a confirmation e-mail to the visitor if you like.  Forms like this can be used for anything, such as requesting information, requesting a price quote, placing an order, making a reservation, or just commenting on your website!  The best thing is that it's a one-step process.  The user doesn't have to open up an email program and send an e-mail.  You can direct their input so you just get the information you need to provide whatever response they're looking for.  A form like this can either be a simple e-mail script or a complex application that automatically sends certain information depending on their request, adds their contact information to a database, or whatever you need!

How-To Guides/Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I recommend "How-To" guides often.  Sharing information about what you do tells your clients that you know what you're talking about.  I often tell clients that they are specialists in their field because other people aren't.  This document you're reading now is an example of this.  Not everybody in the world is a web designer.  They haven't been doing this for years, and in many cases, people need a little jump-start to get motivated to build a site.  The same probably applies to your business.  Without "giving away" too much of the information that makes you a professional, it's possible to help people out in the preparatory stages and get them more comfortable with what you do.  For example, if you run a summer camp for children, you may want to have a list of things the kids should pack to make the most of their experience.  If you sell stereo components, you may want to include a tutorial for how to wire speakers or set up a surround sound system.  At the very least, it will help them get started when they really didn't know where to begin, and hopefully, they'll appreciate that and give you their business.  As an extra bonus, if you do get their business, they'll have a working knowledge of what they should be asking for, which saves everybody time.

Frequently Asked Questions are another great tool.  If people are calling you every day asking the same questions, why not list them on your website and direct your customers to go there?  It's a great resource for them and they may get a little sales pitch every time they visit your site.  You never know when looking for information can turn into a sale.

Business-Specific Suggestions

Because everybody's business is different, I've listed a few ideas below that may help give you some ideas, divided up by industry.  You'll notice there are several mentions of pictures.  It's a good idea to have at least one picture on each page, especially if there is a great deal of text there.  Pictures serve to "cleanse the palate" between blocks of text, and adds to the comfort level of your readers.  Also, pictures of real people in your organization are important, as they put a real face to your business.  If you don't see your type of business listed below, give us a call at (209) 607-0115 and let us know.  We'll be able to give you some ideas!