Spencer's top tips for website success in 2008!

2008 looks to be a challenging year, so I've put together my top 10 tips for ensuring your website's success in 2008. And it needn't be a whole new website if that's not what you want, although a new look never hurt anyone! You could just enhance your current site with a few choice features to give it that something special to set you apart from your competition.

Remember, to remain competitive on the internet DO TODAY what your competition will do tomorrow!

Can you tick all the boxes below? I can! And our new website that went live in November has already led to loads of new business enquiries!

If you don't understand any of what we're saying, then call us and we can explain, you need to know and understand what we are telling you to remain competitive online.

Make these your business New Year's resolutions!


THE LIST

1. Web 2.0 style redesign (make sure your site is fully designed in CSS)

If your website hasn’t been redesignd in 12 months, it needs an update! Internet trends have changed, business to business or business to consumer websites are all changing in design.

2. Add a tag cloud to your website search

Websites are now using tagging more and more as a way to label up content, add a tag cloud, you’ll see one on http://www.bluhalo.com/, click ‘spencer’ to see an example of how it works (all the resulting articles or products from a search can be tagged by you or your website customers!




3. Add a fat footer!

Add a fat footer to your website to increase usability, they are simple to build! They’re very en vogue and encourage click throughs around your website…




4. Add a Podcast – it's no longer a gimmick but a valuable business tool!

Bluhalo now has our very own recording studio to produce podcasts. Want customers to listen you or someone talk about your products or services? Podcasts can be played through your website as well as itunes and emailed to your customers directly to deliver regular updates.




5. GET A SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY! – a WHAT?

Ensure your customers can add your content to their social bookmarking sites! Its not only good for your natural search results but also good for syndicating out your content, look at the bottom of every Bluhalo story, click the ‘share with’ button, even the BBC uses this, do you?




6. RSS and ATOM News Feeds

Is your website content available for distribution?




7. Add a blog today

Google likes websites whose content is updated regularly through news and blogs. It takes about two days for Google to update Wordpress and Blogger.com blog stories, get Bluhalo to put a blog on your website!




8. Create a show reel or video piece to bring your business alive…

Bluhalo now has access to a wide range of video services – it’s exciting, it’s cool to watch and it adds a new facet to your brand.




9. Create a first phase mobile website.

Get your content onto a mobile site, regardless of whether or not the iphone and Opera revolution will negate the need to a mobile sites in the future, there is nothing to say. This is now.

10. HTML Email Newsletters

If you do are not currently sending your customers at least one nicely designed email html a month because you don’t have the time, then let us do it for you!

Most of the above can be implemented with modest budgets… but could make a world of difference.

If you want to know more, you can speak to Spencer, Michael, Vim, David, Simon or Rob and we can point you in the right direction for your business! (You can call on 01252 70 11 11 or contact us online.)