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Increasing Sales Through Improved Web Site Design
Almost every web site can increase its sales and service value through
improved design. PipeMall.Com and Plant-Design.Com have collected a
few tips on how to improve web site design:
- Decide how the web site is to be found. The common ways are:
- Search Engine matches to keywords, page title, page titles/links
or other page content
- Referral from a Suppliers' site.
- Referral from an industry directory (i.e., PipeMall.Com Products)
- Referral from an industry content page (i.e., PipeMall.Com News)
- Your sales program asks them to go there.
- For Search Engines, consider the following:
- Choose keywords that people would actually use to find your products
and services. For example:
choose "Stainless Steel Globe Valves" over "Globe Valves" and over "Valves";
choose "Brass Pipe Fittings" over "Pipe Fittings " and over " Fittings".
- Re-use the keywords in the title ("Jone Supply for Brass Pipe Fittings")
and in page titles, hyperlinks and content.
- Make sure the keywords and title are properly inserted in the header
section (<HEAD>)
Refer to PipeMall.Com and Plant-Design.Com for examples
- Make sure that your Suppliers' sites refer back to you. They should
include Name, Logo, address, phone, FAX, email and (of course) web site.
The logo, email and web site should be hyperlinked for easy use.
- If you wish to be listed in an industry directory, choose directories
that will show your hyperlink without a redirect (like PipeMall.Com).
Redirect hyperlinks are ignored by search engines when they index a site,
so your line sheet will not be indexed by them.
- Get your self talked about on another web site! One of the most
overlooked promotional vehicles is the issuance of a press release
or other announcement to the content pages. For example, IAI
regularly sends out press releases to a number of editors who often
use the content on their web sites, with a link back to ours.
- Don't forget to ask your customers to use the web site by:
- Showing the web site on product literature, correspondence and
business cards. Choose keywords that people would actually use to
find your products and services. For example;\
- Asking customers to use the web site for product information,
office addresses and other information.
- Send them emails that refer back to site information.
Thinking of the site as an extended sales brochure might help visualize
the possibilities.
- Web sites are often poorly designed. Common mistakes are:
- It is not clear "at a glance" what the site is about.
- It uses fancy gimmicks or graphics that don't contribute to informing
or serving the customer.
- It is not clear how to navigate to products, services, information,
offices, news, etc.
- It uses big graphic images or PDF (acrobat) files which take a long
time to download and create boredom and disinterest.
- It forgets to ask the visitor to do anything, such as call, look,
sign-up, read, email, place an order, etc.
- It often forgets to provide for a reply, either through a form or an email.
- It uses terms that are not defined anywhere on the website.
- It puts it all on the first page.
- It talks too much.
Any first rate web development firm (i.e., Information Assets, Inc.)
considers these issues in designing an industrial web site.
- Finally, a word about E-Catalogs. It is not necessary to have
a full on-line ordering capability to benefit from the web. A rough list
of levels of effort in E-Catalogs is:
- A line sheet
- Web pages devoted to product lines
- Web pages devoted to individual products
- Product lists and (perhaps) pricing generated from your product and
pricing database. This is usually referred to as an E-Catalog.
- Customized product lists and pricing for Volume Purchase Agreement
(VPA) customers.
- On-Line quotation requests or inquiries from an E-Catalog.
- On-Line orders from E-Catalogs with payment through normal channels.
- On-Line orders with on-line payment. This is usually referred to as
E-Commerce. More profitable that Business to Consumer (B2C) is Business to
Business (B2B) E-Commerce.
- On-Line E-Commerce by transactions (EDI or XML) exchanged directly with
the customer.
Obviously this can be as complex as you want it but clearly, there are
inexpensive ways to add E-Commerce to existing web sites.
In Summary
A web site is a new kind of publication in a new medium. It can work
against you or for you. Please follow these tips to improve you sales
and service.
About IAI
Information Assets, Inc., specializes in E-Commerce and Web-based
Engineering Applications. IAI offers a broad range of web page development
and hosting products and services. IAI consults world-wide, from its
offices in Houston and Beaumont, TX.
Information Assets, Inc., publishes Plant-Design.Com and PipeMall.Com.
Plant-Design.Com hosts news, case histories, employment, and events of
interest to the plant design and engineering community. PipeMall.Com
provides similar resources to the piping industry.
For more information, contact:
William G. Beazley,
Editor, PipeMall.Com and Plant-Design.Com
(whatsnew@PipeMall.Com, whatsnew@Plant-Design.Com)
President, Information Assets, Inc., (wbeazley@infoassets.com)
5700 Northwest Central, Suite 160
Houston, Texas 77092
TEL 713-690-7644
FAX 713-690-7645
www.infoassets.com
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