Want a website that delivers real results?

This is a discussion topic about getting the right website for your business, no matter who you choose to design your website with.

If you can get these things right, you’ll have a successful website. Bookmark this page so that you can remind yourself of all the things you need to do to make your website a success.

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Define the goal(s) of your website and prioritise them.

What is your website meant to do? You may be looking to generate sales leads, or perhaps to educate your customers / partners. Some businesses need a website simply to create demand for their products, for example a luxury car website aimed at promoting and marketing their cars. Different types of needs will dictate the need for diverse web designs.

You need to note down these aims and prioritise them. Pick the important ones and focus on them. Just remember, the more things you want to achieve, the more effort it will require to manage and fine tune.

Remember, each time you change your mind on what you want your website to do or how you want it to look, you’ll be increasing the cost and delivery time frame. So be sure before you start.

Continuous improvement to your website

You’re not going to get your website “perfect” immediately, so pick your battles. Incidentally, there is no such thing as “perfect”. What works today might not work tomorrow. Keep monitoring if your website is meeting the goals that you’ve set, and make small controlled tweaks to your website (website design).

More on our Website Design Packages

Creative Website design (web design).

The right web design makes the right branding impression. You need to tailor the website design to appeal to your target audience. Our website design specialists will get a design brief from you to best understand who you’re targeting and the impression you want to make. This is probably the key difference between a template website and a custom designed website, where you’re more or less bound to the design on the template.

Visit our Web design samples page

The quality of the Content

The content of your website is largely the texts and images and media used. You need to consider the goal of your website, and use content that will drive you to your goal. If you’re not able to get good content together for your website, then you need to get the professionals involved. Consider using Professional Copywriters, Photographers and Video Production Specialists.

Also, a good marketing consultant will be able to help you get your marketing messages across in your content.

Our Web Design Specialists have access to all these resources, so if you need these services, please make sure you ask for them. There is simply no point in investing in a website that does nothing for you.

More on our Web Design Packages

Your involvement in the Web Design process

Being involved means to learn as much as you can about web design, how the design project is to be managed and how to get results. You cannot expect to simply place an order, wait for a while and receive a website with everything you want on it. That is simply impossible (unless you don’t care what it is that you receive).

You may need to discuss what you need with multiple people and co-ordinate the end result together. The more information you provide and the more guidance you give designers, copy writers, project managers and marketing specialists, the better the end result will be.

You may also need to consider how you interact with the different people on your website design team. As the project owner, you need to be able to articulate what you need with the team that is working with you.

MessageForce has a Web Design Project Management System which we use to deliver your website on time and on budget. Enquire to find out more about this.

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Getting your website found

You need to factor for this before you start. How will potential visitors find you on the web? If you’re simply using your website to support your current marketing efforts such as printed material (e.g. for more information visit: www.xyz.com) then you may not need to consider much internet marketing.

If you want to attract internet users, then you need to consider boosting your web presence. There are several ways to do this:

1. Paid Internet Advertising: Paying for advertising on popular websites that will drive visitors to your website. This channel gets you instant results, however usually at the highest cost. This includes Paid Per Click advertising with tools like Google Adwords (sponsored links).
   
   
2. Natural Search Engine Ranking: By optimising your site correctly, you could be found on the first page of the search engines (such as Google, Yahoo and MSN). This technique is often the most cost effective way to get visitors to your site, however results are not immediate. A naturally well ranked website however is valued highly so this exercise will increase the resell value of your website.
   
   
3. Paid Internet Directories: Listing your business on the right internet directories will generate targeted visitors to your website. This type of website marketing is very effective, and you’re likely to generate immediate results, at a cost.
   
   
4. In-content Viral Marketing: By having fun social content such as games or funny videos on your website can spread like wild-fire on the internet, dramatically boosting the number of visitors to your website. This method of internet marketing can take a while to spread and will require a lot of co-ordination to execute. For the reach that you’re likely to receive from this type of marketing, it is very cost effective, however you need to consider that the initial investment to do this can be quite high, and the results are hard to control or measure. Consider, that a funny video of a T.V. presenter vomiting while presenting a live T.V. broadcast in Sweden spread through the internet and generated over 10 Million hits in just 1 week.

Read more about our Search Engine Optimisation Service

Formulating the right Budget mix for your web design project

Once you’ve taken all this into consideration, you need to budget appropriately for your project. Speak with the web design specialists and tell them your goals. Then work through what is important for you and work out where your budget should go. It sounds clichéd but the fact is you get what you pay for.

As a general guideline, you need to budget for getting people to your website as a priority. The best website design in the world won’t sell a thing if no one can find it. Then prioritise functionality over flashy features. A website that has the right information and is easy to use will generate results, even if it isn’t an award winning website design.

Just remember, people buy your products and services based on the value that you offer. Promote the value of your offering sufficiently and you will get results.

A mediocre website which is easily found on the internet will perform much better than a fantastic but invisible website.

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Topfield’s breakthrough technology in incredible HD quality is now available through out Australian retailers. Since its inception in the late 90’s Topfield has quickly risen through out the world with its reliance on innovation, management, R&D and manufacturing processes. Topfield Australia has had particularly strong sales with its HD Set Top Boxes and Personal Video Recorders.

With national distribution through out Australia comprising over 680 retail stores, the Australian public has warmly welcomed the innovative affordable technology. Topfield are on a quest to become the leaders in home server versions of Multimedia Home Platforms, cutting edge technology that will one day combine communication and broadcasting in the home.

The Topfield team asked MessageForce to design a site complete with Forum, Locate a dealer, a crisp clean look and a website that can be managed and edited from their end (using our CMS). The result has left both parties extremely happy and has ensured that all 3rd parties such as Topfield Asia and America were satisfied with the desired result.

Blackstone’s best practice case management and legal expertise has allowed them to maximize costs recovery and claim entitlements through their focused and timely attention to their clients. Blackstone Legal is a recognised legal costing specialist that needed a professional and informative website to accompany their firm.

A large Victorian firm Blackstone Legal has added value to hundreds of businesses around Australia through its expertise and legal knowledge. Blackstone asked MessageForce to create a very specific type of site that allowed newsletters, downloadable PDF’s, inform potential clients of their specialty as well as creating a website that they could be proud of. The result is another satisfied client who received a professional, expertly designed website at a fraction of the cost. I guess Blackstone aren’t the only ones bringing best practice.

Gowns EveningWear is the perfect answer to providing women of all ages a design to suit every occasion. The lovely ladies at Gowns EveningWear needed a website that had the beauty, eloquence and effort that they put into choosing every dress in the store.

The talented team at Gowns Eveningwear has made well dressed women a stylish reality. Keeping in touch with customers along with the way they have managed to always stock beautiful whilst developing easy to wear designs with a difference at multiple price points. When Gowns EveningWear approached MessageForce they were extremely hesitant to publicize online because they weren’t sure that the beauty and style that is in their shop could be transferred to their website. Nevertheless, after working closely with each of the partners associated with the company we were able to come up with a website that was exactly what they wanted.

As the company closes in on their 10 year reunion since opening, the amount of business they get through their website is growing by the day.