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Master the Net
Listed under: Interviews
Published: Thursday, January 13, 2011
Having a top notch website couldn't be more important in today's internet-savvy market, but are you making the most of yours? If not, you could be doing yourself and your business a disservice, as Chris Winstanley of BaseKit explains
What are the benefits of having a strong online presence?
The worst mistake retailers can make in today’s competitive market is having a poor website. Online sales can be a massive source of income for craft businesses. However, the anticipated expenses associated with creating a first-class site often put many people off. Fortunately, retailers can keep the costs of building and running a website down, without having to compromise on quality.
Are there any important factors businesses need to think about beforehand?
A common mistake many retailers make is designing the sites themselves. While they might know their customers’ needs and expectations, many forget this when creating their websites. It is therefore essential to consider how your audience will be using the pages and produce something that truly exceeds their expectations.
Is there anything retailers should steer clear of?
Music introductions and sound effects are an absolute no-no. Whether it's an 80s pop song or a company jingle, cheesy introductions to websites are dated and can damage your company image and annoy visitors that have their speakers turned up to full volume.
What advice would you give to craft businesses hoping to make the most of their sites?
First and foremost, make sure you avoid long load times; audiences have short attention spans and a website that loads in five seconds is now considered very slow – a ten second wait is almost torture and 30 seconds could lead them to think the site's broken!
Many websites also bombard their audience with text that is not designed for websites, but for print. To draw the customer to the copy and support scannability, use subheads, bullet points and short paragraphs. It's also vital to ensure you choose the right technology to build your site. Plain HTML templates are restrictive and time consuming to manage, especially as each change has to be done page by page. Unnecessary visual effects using Flash can also detract from the visitor experience. Ultimately, the key to success is making sure your pages are easy to navigate and providing visible contact details.
