Hyperspace Anonymity: Are we learning from the mistakes of the past?

"We need a new website, the design does not engage visitors, the navigation's all wrong, that's why we get only a few orders from the web". Perhaps those that hold this view are not totally wrong, however, it has to be said that there are many small medium enterprises (SME's) out there still spending unnecessary amounts on redesigning their company websites and learning nothing from their past ventures into online trading, and more importantly, the experience of others. Indeed there will be many companies that would have added more to their bottom line had they simply opted out of the online world.

There will be those that disagree, but there is increasing evidence that even poorly designed websites (visually) can still pull in plenty of visitors if search engines list the website well. The ideal situation naturally comes from a mix of visually pleasing design, intuitive navigation, but more importantly high search engine listings.

The larger organisations out there have started investing heavily in search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay per clicks (PPC) along with increasing other e-marketing methods. It's been along time coming but it is not uncommon now to see one-time web designers mixing it in the marketing department of the large corporate. At long last the medium has broken out of its rather geeky - techy image.

But for the smaller organisations there is some way to go before today's buzzwords - SEO, PPC, Affiliates and E-shots become common terms discussed in the boardroom. For those quick to shape up, the rewards can be dramatic. It's relative to the level of competition companies' experience, but small amounts of SEO and e-marketing can be very cost effective. Unlike the big guys in the most competitive arenas such as car insurance, the clued up SME could be looking at a small investment in a freelancer or and outsourced specialist. So long as those engaged in providing e-marketing, work efficiently and have some pedigree, the results will almost certainly eclipse the investment. It has to be said however, there are few who have many years knowledge as the scene is still very young and constantly maturing. So when contemplating a website re-design, its essential to consider the over all skills of the designer / developer to build a search engine friendly site, but also to allocate a budget for ongoing promotional work. Today, failure to go the extra mile, risks hyperspace anonymity.

This article is free to republish provided this resource box remains intact.

Paul Coupe is lead designer / developer with Zoom Online.

Zoom Online is a specialist web design company.
paul@zoom-online.co.uk

http://www.zoom-online.co.uk/e-marketing/Hyperspace_Anonymity_Are_we_learning_from_the_mistakes_of_the_past.htm