5 quick fixes for your website
Previously I posted about the idea that having a website is not always enough. We talked about how many organizations or businesses are getting onto the web and then neglecting their websites or not hiring a professional to give their website the final touches that can make the difference in the performance and effectiveness of the website. Here I take a look at a local business organization that could look to a peer organization for 5 quick fixes to improve the overall appearance and likely effectiveness of their website.
Camdenton Chamber of Commerce
The Camdenton Chamber of Commerce has some great information on local businesses, local events and how to get connected. There is no doubt the information is on the site. However the design is something that is very unprofessional. For an organization representing the local businesses it is inadequate.
The Camdenton Chamber represents over 450 businesses and organizations in the Lake of the Ozarks area. Shouldn’t this organization be an example of keeping up to date with internet trends? I would like to challenge the Camdenton Area Chamber to consider updating the appearance of their website to be a leader in the business community.
The Lake of the Ozarks area that the Chamber helps represent, primarily the Camdenton area, represents easily 15,000 residents both inside and outside of the city limits. The official numbers are very misleading due to the many residents living just outside city limits. But we could at least run with 15,000 for this conversation. During Summer or Hunting season that number likely increases by the thousands.
A side-by-side comparison
So if the Chamber represents businesses in a community this size it should be comparable to other chamber’s around the country. I came across a chamber website in Buffalo, MN. Now the Buffalo Chamber has a wonderful website. While the information provided is no different in nature than what the Camdenton Chamber is offering you can see that the presentation of the content is much easier to follow. Where is your eye drawn? Which website would you prefer to read?
Here are 5 quick fixes the Camdenton Area Chamber can consider after seeing a comparable chamber website in a comparable sized area. Even the logo with the sailboat is similar.
QUICK FIX #1 – Setup each page with Google Analytics
A quick and easy way to start understanding your visitors and their usage of your website is to install the freely available Google Analytics. There are many companies that can help with this or you can do it yourself. If you need help integrating analytics and understanding the data you can work with us at Tonka Park.
Analytics can help you understand which pages are working and which pages aren’t. It can help identify trouble areas or even successes. Having more information about your website will only allow your business to make better decisions about what your next step should be. Read more about analytics here.
QUICK FIX #2 – Make sure all images and links are working
Many sites often have links or images that lead to nowhere or don’t display properly. This shows a lack of preparation and review for your content. Each time you work on your site take a few moments to make sure everything loads properly. It may seem simple but the small things always make the difference.
QUICK FIX #3 – Add a search or sitemap of your content
Many organizations have large amounts of content on their websites and each week it seems to grow. If you are trying to cater to lots of different types of visitors then you will need to provide them a good way to get around your content. Sometimes a menu navigation cannot display all pages of content you have available. A simple sitemap like the Buffalo Chamber offers or a search box to search the site would be helpful. You want to help your visitors find answers to the questions that brought them to your site. Don’t make them search manually by clicking around, give them an easier way.
QUICK FIX #4 – Setup your site on a CMS
I have no idea how many are running these large websites. But when you start getting into lots of content and weekly or even daily changes you need to move to a CMS solution. A Content Management System, such as WordPress or Joomla, can help you organize your content on the back-end. A CMS could also address Quick Fix #3 as sitemap and search are usually built-in functionality.
Using a CMS will cut out maintenance time and make it easier to create even more content you were either reluctant to or unable to create under your current one page at a time system. There are open source and commercial solutions here. Professional firms can help you get setup on a blogging solution or a robust CMS to solve your content problems.
QUICK FIX #5 – Get a professionally designed template
The final quick fix could be considered a bit less than quick. Redesigning a website can take weeks or months in some cases. However, if you are happy with your content and simply want to take advantage of a new look a prebuilt template might be just right. There are several commercial sites that sell designer templates for basic websites to complex CMS websites. Now even though the template is prebuilt it will take some skill and expertise to integrate it into your existing site. So this still could be a few days or a couple of weeks to full completion. But it will be less expensive than having a designer build a fully custom designed website.
I recommend browsing the templates at Themeforest. If you prefer you can contact us over at Tonka Park to help select a template from this affiliate or another you have found. We can then help uplift your current website and content to fit into the new template. We even can help you get up and running on a CMS solution.
For the record, I have not yet joined the Camdenton Chamber but have considered it. Any other members out there?
Lake area businesses need a website
To me a website is so much more than just another expense for a business. A website is a tool to attract and retain customers. Whether you are a restaurant or a distributor of widgets people more and more prefer to find information over the internet. For the seasonal businesses in the lake area a website would seem to be critical in informing visitors of your business prior to their arrival in the area. People are using websites, blogs, Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, iPhone Apps and other internet tools to find information at all times of the day without having to call your offices.
‘You need a website. Period.’
For many businesses in the Camdenton, Osage Beach and lake area an advanced solution wouldn’t make sense. I am not trying to say they would, but intentionally focusing some of your advertising efforts towards the internet should be a requirement. To provide an always-on business presence will put you ahead of your competitor who hasn’t yet moved to the internet. Scott Clark addresses the need for a company website plainly:
First of all, let’s get this out of the way… you need a website. Period.
And not just any ol’ website, but a great website with clear, crisp professional, easy to navigate design with superb user ability and functionality. Furthermore, you need a website that is just as easy for you to use administratively, as it is for your site visitors to use.
It doesn’t matter if you are a national corporate brand, a smaller brick and mortar with ‘plenty of business’, a brick and mortar with only local business, or an ice cream shop that only sells to people between 5’10 and 5’11 wearing baseball hats before 3 pm only… you still need a website! Your business can be broad or niche, it can be large or small, and despite what you may believe… you need a website!
No matter the cost
Don’t let the potential costs of a website turn you away. There are many levels of service and different options that can be customized to meet your specific needs. If you invest some money into an e-commerce site, a product gallery or an online newsletter you are likely to make your money back in new sales due to the work of a experienced designer and developer. Search engine marketing or campaigns can be another way to spend money that helps attract new customers online.
If you want to venture into creating your first business website, updating your current site to be more professional and useful to your customers, build an e-commerce storefront or start a new search engine marketing campaign please consider contacting Tonka Park for the internet services.
Lake of the Ozarks Web Presence
Lake of the Ozarks, Camdenton, Osage Beach and the surrounding lake towns are filled with small businesses. When looking for information on the local businesses or trying to plan for a weekend or summer vacation at the lake most will want to use the internet to find out the information quickly.
Local business websites
For those businesses in the lake area towns such as Camdenton and Osage Beach there are starting to be more businesses creating websites to help accommodate the visitors that travel to town and for the locals who use their services all year long. Unfortunately, there are still many businesses relying on billboards and yellow pages for communicating with their potential customers. This works to an extent but more and more people are trying to find information on the internet using search engines before they visit town. Being able to find information on the internet will help these consumers make a decision on whether they will use your services or furthermore if they know that your services exist.
Lake area directories
There are directory sites that are more like newspapers and classifieds. The lake area sites that you might find useful are www.lakenewsonline.com, funlake.com, www.lakeozarknow.com. These sites have some area business information, local news, picture galleries and advertisements for local businesses. They are helpful tools for small businesses to list their services or advertise and for consumers to look up local information. But they are limited in how you can portray your business. Having a unique domain just for your business will help create brand identity and allow you to provide dynamic content that can help draw in new customers.
Create a web presence
If you are a lake area business needing to get your company online to replace or supplement your current advertising please consider a new website or search engine marketing campaign. There are several local companies that can help get a basic website started for a reasonable price. Take a look at the web development services offered by Tonka Park. They can help you get started with your first web site or help you update your current site to be better at drawing in new customers. Even if you aren’t in the Lake of the Ozarks region Tonka Park can help setup a website or improve your search engine results.
