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Demonstrate a willingness to communicate November 7th, 2007

Thanks to Claudia McConnell’s question “is it necessary to put your location or contact details on your web site?” The answer is not really about your web site and more about your business strategy as a whole. If you have managed to attract someone to your web site to learn more about your product, it is essential that you do not give them any reasons to doubt your capability or question why they should use your business over a competitors. In my opinion you shouldn’t just give your contact details, you should make it even easier and provide a free phone number to encourage communication. More often than not, if the web site is well written you will not receive a call as they will… Read the Rest »

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Northern Rock plummets online September 19th, 2007

In the last few days we have seen Northern Rock suffer a dramatic loss in consumer confidence and consequently customers. In spite of the Government issuing a guarantee that Northern Rock customers would not loose any money, customers have queued in their thousands to withdraw money from the wavering building society. Ironically the longest queues were experienced with those trying to log in online. The biggest area where we see consumers being unforgiving in this instance is when they cannot access the Internet site to view or transfer their money. We are all programmed to expect to access our regular and favourite websites 24 hours a day. So often I come across clients who spend a fortune on their web site and then underestimate the… Read the Rest »

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Why do so many online businesses fail? March 16th, 2007

The first question I ask clients wanting to set up an online business is “what are the main differences between and online business and a traditional business?” How they answer this question will mean the difference between success and failure. The answer is “there is NO difference.” The main reason that there is a high proportion of online disasters, is that business men and women fail to recognise the importance of good old fashioned customer care and communication. How many times do you see a web site without a telephone number plainly visible? Yet the owner of the site may be perplexed why the orders trickle in. Simple failures can make a massive difference and it is all about percentages. If you generate 100 visitors… Read the Rest »

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Attracting the right visitors (Step 2) September 8th, 2006

If you have followed Step 1 then you’ll be getting the visitors to your site and with relevant content they should like what they are reading. So, what next? Do your visitors know what they need to do to become a customer? Take a good look at your site, are you helping visitors to make that next step. Are you telling them what they have to do and making it as easy as possible? You may be surprised to know that many sites out there have no “calls to action” – if you don’t tell the visitor what they have to do and make the process as easy as possible, you can’t expect them to do it. If you use your site as a tool… Read the Rest »

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Is hosting important to success online? July 26th, 2006

Well it’s been some time since I last posted. I have had my hands full, with the birth of my second daughter Poppy. I timed it to perfection as we moved house and picked up a couple of puppies all on the same day. So after 2 weeks paternity leave I have returned to work for some peace and quiet! I noticed that Graeme Hastings from Harper James suggested I elaborate more on the hosting issues and the connections between fast well written sites and successful ones. There is no doubt that speed is now a major issue on the internet, you only have to look at how our obsession with bigger and faster broadband connections is evolving to see how high up the list… Read the Rest »

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Is customer service important on the internet? June 12th, 2006

Just how important is customer service on the internet? I have very definite views on this subject which are reinforced by my own buying traits. To me the very first stage when creating an online strategy is working out “how do I want to be perceived by my customers and am I prepared to deliver on my values?” The answer to these 2 questions will probably determine the success or failure of your venture. To attract new business it is imperative that you demonstrate that you are a helpful organisation, so a well written site that has a clear navigation structure and helpful information is an essential ingredient. It is also a great investment and one that can save time and money in the long… Read the Rest »

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