Create an Awesome Website

Maybe you are creating your own site or you hired a website design firm to build your site, here are a few things that you must keep in mind.

1) Always put your feet in the shoes of your customer or viewer. - Let's face it, there are alot of challenged (stupid) people in the world. We must be able to convey and communicate messages efficiently and easily. Easy-to-use navigational interfaces (buttons) need to be functional and clear. Graphics and pictures need to tell a story, since most people are visual. In general, the site needs to be easy to understand!

2) Grab attention quickly - Create your home page as a snap shot of the entire site. Since many viewers spend less than a minute on your website, give them the fastest option to navigate through your site. Make sure any "call to action" specials are available right away on the index (home) page. Any offers like ( Buy 2 get 1 FREE, or FREE toothpaste with purchase) need to be readily visible.

3) Optimize Graphics - Graphics on your site should be optimized so they are not grainy or low resolution. A site with bad graphics says alot about you or your company. Also company logo should be branded throughout the site as much as possible.

4) Create site from scratch - If you can, have a site graphically designed to your exact specifications. Many sites are available in template format and are not exact to you or your company's specifications. Make sure that your web designer meets with you and discusses how your company works and operates. Also any secondary marketing materials like brochures and pamphlets need to be provided to your web designer.

5) Content, Content, Content - By providing as much information as possible on your website, there is more of an opportunity that search engines will find you. Also answering a customer's question online without actually talking to them saves time and money!

6) Flash or no Flash - Although Flash applications are great looking on a website, they could potentially interfere with search engines trying to find your site. A site created entirely in Flash should be avoided.

For more information about website design, contact Chapman Marketing at 214-707-2280

Viral Marketing - The New Disease

When I first heard the two word together, VIRAL MARKETING, I started thinking about how FEMA would handle this kind of epedemic.

Actually it is just a genious way of describing online "guerilla marketing" technique. If you are not familar with guerilla marketing, just think about how many times you have seen that guy in the stands holding up the John 3:16 sign while you are watching a sporting event on TV. FREE advertising to millions upon millions of people. Annoying? I would consider it very effective. I'm not a real religious guy, but I now know what that Bible scripture says. Call it my curious mind demanding to know what John 3:16 was.

Now, the most effective "VIRAL Guerilla" is the internet. With skyrocketing cost-per-click online prices with Google and Yahoo!, Blogging and RSS feeds are the most cost effective way to efficiently direct traffic to your website or your product. New and consistently updated content on a website or a Blog is your key to an informed and engaged audience. RSS feeds are a way to aggregate different news stories or blogs on one site.

If you can get 10 - 100 people to follow your blog RSS feed just think about the free traffic you can get!