A website that is clear, simple and easy to navigate could increase your sales by 100 per cent, as suggested by the latest research.

It appears that even if your products are less compelling than your competitors, if your website is clean and un-complicated visitors will stay on your site longer and are more likely to buy.

With the fast pace of life these days we expect things to be quick, easy and fuss-free. A website that is clearly marked out and easy to navigate will be more appealing than one that is complicated and busy.

With this in mind a website should be designed for the consumer. The quality of consumers’ online experience determines how long they stay on a site and whether they choose to make a purchase. Good website design coupled with good copywriting could convert up to 100 per cent more than a poor website.

User-centred design (UCD) optimises the principles of designing a website around how people can, want or need to work, rather than forcing the user to change how they work to accommodate the developers design. At each stage of the website design process the wants, needs and limitations of the end user should be evaluated. Rather than dictating how the user will use a website any site should be designed giving the user what they want. Jakob Neilsen, the grandfather of UCD said it doesn’t matter what a website looks like, just as long as it works for the user. Whether you agree with this statement or not the message is the same – usability is the key.

Many websites these days use Flash, and yes, this can make it look very pretty and appealing, but this needs to be weighted up with functionality. Making things bright and swishy doesn’t naturally comply with DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) and Flash content isn’t read by search engines. This begs the question – why use Flash? A well written site doesn’t need Flash, so wouldn’t you prefer a fully integrated site that everyone can see?

There is so much to think about these days when it comes to designing a website, Web 2.0 being one of the latest buzz words.  Web 2.0 design style allows users to do more than simply find information, it provides greater user participation, a richer user experience and dynamic content. Web 2.0 also demonstrates clean, simple, basic lines – less is more, as they say!

Google, the most visited website on the planet is the prime example of the perfect website.  It’s simple, clean and it just works – what more do you want, it doesn’t need to do anything else! Everyone recognises it you know what it does and it just does it – no big Flash banners, it’s not crammed with text and pictures – it just is.

A website is not a piece of art and it’s not the same as designing a poster. People view websites in completely different ways, whether it’s different browsers, operating system, security software, screen size, resolution, hardware or speed of connection. Designing a website must be about the user experience otherwise people will get bored and go somewhere else. Research shows that it takes only eight seconds for someone to choose whether to stay on a website or not so a site needs to be good enough to catch someone’s eye, but not complicated so that they don’t stay on the site.

Mystery meat navigation is something that some ‘designed’ websites use. Although they may look nice and pleasing on the eye the navigation is inefficient and confusing. If a website is complicated and unclear visitors will not stay on the site. It is not recommended to use something that people are unfamiliar with as they won’t know how to use it and it is a sure fire way of losing a sale.

When designing a website one of the key characteristics is functionality. If a site is clear and easy to use visitors will stay on the site longer, make return visits, bookmark the site and tell their friends.  It’s not enough just to think about the colour and what its visual impact is, you must think about what people are coming to the site for. People expect a website to tell them what to do, so make things obvious to guide them. A website is often the first point of contact a company has with a potential customer, so make a good impression.

On the run up to Christmas online sales are expected to reach £6.8bn, a spending increase of £132 per person, according to Verdict Research.

With the busy lives we all lead and shopping days counting down, people are ditching the traditional Christmas shopping trip and are turning to the internet to purchase their festive delights.

In the age of the internet we have entered a new era in consumerism. More and more people are using the internet because it provides a wide variety of choice, it’s convenient and offers comparable prices. Having a website these days is the ‘norm’ and any business wanting to stay competitive would benefit from one.

Now is one of the best times to launch a website, as more people turn to the internet to see what bargains are to be had. Companies that already have a website would benefit from refreshing their site to make it stand out from competitors, or adding special promotions to help increase sales.

Although we are currently in a recession and many high street outlets have seen a decline in consumer spending, online sales look set to rise. So, whether it’s a new website or updating an existing one, any business would want to be part of the increased expenditure of Christmas shoppers.

With a luring price tag of £100 or even less why wouldn’t you build your own website? The price looks good, you can add some text, a few pictures and away you go – right?

While many businesses don’t require an all singing, all dancing website there are a few things to consider before diving in for the cheapest price going.

A website is often the first contact a business has with potential customers. It is a reflection of your company so you want it to look professional and stand out from your competitors.

A bespoke website from a reputable company will provide a professional, knowledgeable approach to your website, and offer advice and guidance so you get the most out of a very powerful marketing tool.

If you think of the cost of a full colour advert in a local paper then the cost of a website is negligible. For the price of a weekly paper advert any business can have a custom built, fully functional website that is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

While a DIY website may look appealing cost-wise, there are also additional costs that you may not be aware of, such as domain name registration and website hosting. A website design company will provide advice and guidance for these as well as the latest SEO (search engine optimisation) techniques to help the site rank higher in search engines.

At the end of the day, would you rather spend a few pounds on a template website that looks the same as many others, or invest in a custom designed and built website that makes you stand out from the crowd and offers visitors a great user experience?

If you are sitting and waiting for new clients to knock on your door, then you are in for a long wait. As with any business you need to make yourself known, let people know you are there and generate more customers. At the end of the day the crux of any business is to generate new client leads. As well as bringing in the money, new clients’ help a business develop, improve and remain competitive.

To get you started, here’s a list of things you can try to get your company name out there:

Word of mouth

• Word of mouth is one of the best forms of advertising. People are more likely to use a company who has been recommended to them by family or friends
• Email all your friends and family about your business and ask them to spread the word

Existing clients

• Get feedback from existing clients
• Get in contact with existing clients about any new services/products you have
• Contact existing clients who you haven’t heard from in a while and see whether they need your services/products – never forget the clients you already have
• Ask your clients for referrals
• Send out promotions with your invoices

First contact!

• Research businesses you would like to target and cold call them
• Send promotional material to potential clients

Networking

• Attend industry events, conferences and exhibitions
• Go to events in your clients industry
• Carry out a talk, seminar or webinar
• Sponsor an event
• Do some work for a charitable organisation that has links to your clients industry
• Always be ready to tell people what you do and have your business card ready

Promotion, promotion, promotion!

• Place an ad in relevant publications
• Set up Google Adwords
• Get listed in printed and online business directories
• Take part in a trade show
• Give away branded merchandise
• Carry out a direct mail campaign
• Create leaflets and posters that you can distribute and display

Let the media work for you…

• Send a press release to relevant media (local, national, industry specific) about a new product/service
• Get mentioned on a local or national radio show
• Do something ‘quirky’ that will get your business noticed (publicity stunt)
• Pitch an article to a relevant publication

Get a website!

• A website is the most effective way to reach more potential customers
• A website has no word or space restrictions, unlike traditional advertising.  Say what you want to say, without the limitations
• A website helps your business stand out in an increasingly competitive market
• Reduce your advertising costs by putting ‘see our website for more information’
• A website never sleeps, and will continue serving your customers even after you have gone to bed!
• Use SEO techniques to help search engines find your site

Use the web

• Start a blog
• Participate in online forums
• Register with social networking sites

Designing a website should not be considered in the same light as you would design a poster or a leaflet. All too often we see websites that would look great printed and hung on a wall, but offer the modern computer-savvy customer little in the way of interactivity, options, style, or flair.

A website is a portal into your business that can sell to customers even when your entire workforce is safely tucked up in bed – and if the website is good enough it may even do a better job, as it is inherently driven by the needs of the customer rather than a “hard-sell” salesman.

The key to good website design is identifying the expectations of the customer and how they are likely to want to use your site (NOT how you want them to use it!). This can be difficult. As a retail business you naturally want to guide customers to ensure a sale, but now you must rely on the website to do that for you.

The silver lining of this careful balancing act is that the winning formula will keep working for you on every customer, time and time again, even when you are still in your pyjamas. So, get it right and spend the right amount of time and effort doing so, because it will pay you back ten-fold.