Studies show that more than 97% of all information is now carried over the Internet. Therefore, if a prospect is inquiring about your company’s legitimacy or a resource for their needs, the web is how they begin their research.

Since the mid-1990s, the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) have influenced commerce in extraordinary ways.  There are many features and functions that new small business websites should have:

• Easy to use Content Management Systems
• Search Engine Friendly Content
• Search Engine Optimization
• Blog Postings
• Ecommerce
• Social Media Links

The above are just a few examples of website functionality that can energize your small business if your website is regularly maintained, updated and expanded.  Your website is the front door to your business and should be the tool that provides updated and consistent information; giving prospects and clients exactly what they are looking for.

Use your website as the primary place to display your company's publicly accessible content, images, videos and any other related digital assets.  These assets can include White Papers, PowerPoint Presentations, Documents and Lead Capture Forms.

But why stop there?  Your website can be more than a classic five-page online brochure.  Information about your company’s products and services are just the beginning.  Include audio, video, interactive menus and navigation. Your website can also require a login to allow certain user groups or members access to content specifically meant for them.

Basic examples of members and user groups may include:

• High Value Clients – preferential pricing or discounts
• Employees & Staff – manuals and schedules
• Vendors – Requests for Proposals or specific product or service needs
• Board of Directors or Business Partners –Strategic planning documents

The old ways of thinking about web sites are gone!  ‘If my site looks good people will find it’ or ‘Build it and they will come’, we have all heard these sayings, but are they true in the Internet World?

No matter how elaborate and impressive your site may be, the main goal of most businesses is to be found by Search Engines.  Today, you have an enormous opportunity to place your business online and in a leadership position for your segment of the market.  This represents a unique option to make a strong first impression and an overall experience that is good for your visitors.

You can control how your website evolves, how it’s built, maintained and marketed, but you must develop a new approach, not just new priorities.  Understanding the value and reason for incorporating appropriate links, keywords, tags and site map AS WELL AS adding engaging video content, and updating your home page with fresh content regularly AND maintaining a user-focused blog.  Because the content of a website is the subject matter that attracts and keeps an audience, the arrangement of your content should closely follow your website’s purpose so your audience doesn’t get frustrated or lost.   Prepare your content features so that they directly relate to your audience's activities, interests, and concerns.  A good plan is to focus your content strategy on creation, delivery and management:

• Designing content that is readable and understandable for the optimal user experience
• Lifecycle management of documents and audio or video files and also considering how they might be re-purposed
• Business analysis identifying needs and determining solutions to business problems by maximizing the impact of content
• Technical communication such as online help, user manuals, white papers, specifications, process and procedure manuals, industrial videos, data sheets, journal articles, training, business papers, reports, forms and documents placed to engage the audience, convey a message, and trigger action
• Create a repeatable system that defines your website content development process and supports meaningful, interactive experiences for your audience