Business Leader Magazine
Interview with Thomas Young
June 25th, 2007
When should a company consider using a professional Website and what is a reasonable cost range?
Just about everyone in business today needs a Website. There are few exceptions and those that are exceptions know it. Cost ranges are all over the board, from a college intern that will do it for free to a high-end ad agency that will charge a million dollars. You should be able to do a lot for under $20,000. Our average Website is around $10,000.
What makes a good business Website? What are the most common mistakes you see in Web design?
Meeting site visitor needs makes a great Website. Major mistakes are common on the Web because people do not understand a Website is part of a strategic marketing plan and not just a pretty design or IT department’s pet project. The biggest mistake is putting design or technology staff in charge of the Website. Marketing should manage the Website.
What are the keys to driving traffic to your site? What should a beginner know about this?
First, tell people about your Website and second learn about and use search engines. Google has much content and this is a great starting point. Driving people to a Website only happens if there is value on the site. Both search engines and Web users recognize value and reward you for it.
How good are blogs and e-zines at driving people to a Website?
The big three of online content distribution are blogs, podcasts and Webinars. These tools will drive people to your Website because they are search engine friendly and people will find the site so they can get access to valuable content. Email is also a great tool for driving traffic. Excellent email content gets read and bad emails get deleted.
What are the costs/benefits of tracking of Website traffic and conversion rates? Are there any products you recommend?
This is not an option, if you are serious about tracking your Website’s effectiveness. Your site must have conversion goals and strategies to measure. Google Analytics is the best tool on the market and it’s free!
