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6 Tips to help you stick to your Web Design Resolutions for 2010

Are you one of those people who makes resolutions for your website and then, because you’re busy, busy, busy or because other demands come higher up on your list, you let them slip?  If so, here are some tips to help you form a plan you can stick to with the overall aim of increasing traffic to your site:

1.  Content

Updating the content of your site on a regular basis will help your search engine ranking and this alone could result in more visitors.
Do you calendarise reminders to send updates to your web designer?  If not, set them up now!
If you rely on a developer to do this for you and you’re finding it expensive, you may be better off investing in a CMS (Content Management System) as you will see the return on your investment over time.  If on the other hand your content isn’t updated because you don’t have the time and you haven’t asked anyone else to do it, delegate it now to a Virtual Assistant.

2.  CMS

A professional web designer can develop a CMS which allows you or your PA to update your content and add additional content.  Just remember, on some pages of your website the text will remain the same, and won’t need to be changed frequently.  For example, you will probably want your contact details to remain static.   Examples of these may be :

• Blog
• Newsletter
• Articles
• Be Organised

Your web designer will need to know which areas of your site will need to be changed on a regular basis so that he or she can plan the CMS accordingly. Your content obviously needs to be written and then added to your site.  Whether you do this yourself or you delegate it, just schedule regular times to assign team-members or the people assisting you with sourcing images - there are writers out there who, for a fee can write your content for you.

3.  Image & Design

You already have a corporate identity and your website needs to reflect this.  A poor design gives an unprofessional image and if your existing design is not connected to your brand, potential customers may become confused.

When you make changes to your website, sometimes the design becomes affected so it is worth taking a cold hard look at the navigational elements to ensure that the information you have updated is within the relevant area of your site.  It may be that you used a pre-set template which you have added to over a few months and this may no longer be appropriate for your content as your business evolves.
If this is the case, don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Your original designer could upgrade your site for you or, you could go to a new designer and ask them to re-organise your content to create a new and better image.

Keep in mind that under your new “organised” regime, you will be adding fresh content on a regular basis, so ensure that whoever you use for your re-design is aware of this before creating the new navigational aspects.

4.  Ensure your website is working for you

Your site really needs to be working away for you in the background.  For example, by linking it to your blog you are creating credibility in your area of expertise and you will improve your search engine ranking. If you sell products rather than services, your site should be an e-commerce site, selling those products while you work on other areas of your business.  Don’t forget to show your visitors what you and your business can do for them – allow for an area to display client testimonials.

5.  Prioritise & Get Smart

List the issues before taking steps to involve help.  By writing them down, it will become clearer whether you need a designer, a Google Adwords specialist or someone who can build your CMS, or a combination of all of these.  Most companies will assess the existing areas of weakness and provide a quote for their solution.  It might however be a good idea to spend some time with all three of the aforementioned which will ensure your investment is well spent.  The team you choose can then, between them, create a plan to produce your re-design according to your budget and priorities.

It is important to calculate a budget from the word go.  It’s better to be realistic, and if you know you won’t have the time available to write a regular blog, either outsource it to your writer or VA or get rid of it!  If you’d like your designer to manage your content updates, you can ask them to help you with the scheduling.

6.  Easier Longterm Management

It really isn’t that difficult to re-plan your website and, like anything which requires a bit of thought and dedication,  just think of the benefits it will bring to you and your business in the longer term.  By having a clear, itemised schedule, developed in conjunction with your web designer, you will find it much easier to manage as well!