This is a presentation used for newbie entrepreneurs who are looking to get a website started to help promote their business. Developed for WIBO Jan 2011

1. Presented by: Mardy Sitzer, Bumblebee Design & Marketing LLC Sponsored by: Growing Your Business With a Website

2. a good website can bring you more business and a bad one can drive away prospective customers

3. Disclaimer WE HAVE NO AFFILIATION OR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION WITH ANY OF THE SERVICES OR SITES MENTIONED IN THIS PRESENTATION. NO WARRANTY OF PERFORMANCE OR VALUE IS BEING SUGGESTED OR IMPLIED.

4. OWNERSHIP Domain Name: make sure that you specify in your contract that you are listed as the administrative contact for the domain record – verify with whois.net Make sure that all prospective vendors give you full, exclusive rights to your website in its entirety upon completion: Design, images, original, editable source files, source code, production files and content. Purchasing photography or other assets: copyright use: time limits? reuse limitations? Caution: be wary of companies or individuals that charge a fee if you move your website to another web host. Or, if they write unnecessary code and call it “proprietary” technology and charge you extra for the source. Most solutions have ‘open source’ (free) code available that is then modified to your needs – this is not proprietary.

5. Define Your Audience Existing Customers YOUR COMPETITOR’S Buyers Buyers Influencers Influencers Referrals Referrals Users Users New Target YOUR COMPETITOR’S Buyers Buyers Influencers Influencers Referrals Referrals Users Users

6. Websites Are Made of:

7. Who Do You Hire? Web Designer: page layout, graphics, text location and colors of your site, as well as the navigation and how pages will cross-link to one another. Many times encompasses the role of project manager, developer, etc... Programmer : takes the design and uses various code languages to write the "behind-the-scenes" website code responsible for the site's architecture and interactive functions Graphic Artist : designs the graphics for the site, including page layout, colors, etc. - the "visual artist" for your site. Copywriter : writer versed in techniques for online readability, SEO and target audience. Internet Marketing Consultant: helps you to determine how your website fits into your overall marketing strategy, and how to get more traffic and sales from your website.

8. Your Website Should Have Multiple Job Descriptions

10. Create Your Website To Support Your Goals

12. Imagine:

15. IA = Information Architecture Definition: a structural design of shared environments, methods of organizing and labeling websites and ways of bringing the principles of design and architecture to the internet. > website structure, features and content Sitemap and Wireframe bring the following key benefits: * early, close-up view of the site design (or re-design). * inspire the designer, resulting in a more fluid creative process. * gives the developer a clear picture of the elements that they will need to code. * makes the call to action on each page clear. * easy to adapt and can show the layout of many sections of the website.

17. Now Is A Good Time You should be ready to put together a scope of work that you can use to go out to bid. Bidding for Budgets Be fair and stress ‘for budget’ (if that is what you are doing). Be open and request suggestions. The scope of work will ‘evolve’ as you engage professionals.

18. BUDGET: What impacts costs: Design by committee: adds time = $ the more layers in your company the more time it takes Form / Function: the more features = $ programming time Needs: copywriter, photographer, illustrator, designer, programmer, marketer Changes: the later in the process, the more complex the change TIP: clarify what is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY vs. WOULD BE NICE

20. How To Find A Web Designer

23. Level The Playing Field After the first round of inquiries, assimilate what you have gotten into one document – add and clarify scope then resubmit for next round. INTERVIEW RIGOURSLY

26. Free / Cheap FREE or CHEAP = Hosted Services What this means: your art / data / etc. happens on another company’s server you do not own your site the site can not be moved or transferred Example: free website with hosting contract. The templates belong to the hosting company and are not transferrable if you move your site.

27. … Cheap Templates: GREAT way to get professional looking website at budget pricing. Search Website Templates TIP: Look for PSD files and CSS files to be included

28. … Cheap Hosted Service Providers: GREAT way to get professional services such as ecommerce without the need for a programmer and deploy faster. TIPS: Paypal can serve as a merchant gateway. If you don’t need a store front, check out e-junkie.com Uses foxycart.com

30. Storyboard or Map Functions Diagram: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/tamingscope Think about the experience and the process

32. Every Page Is Important Keywords: words and long tail Page Name: url – naming – user words not numbers / - ok _ avoid Meta Tags: enable search engines to determine what key words are relevant Title: Description: Keywords: Alt Image: To check: on any browser: View > Source code

35. Project Management Document and Information Management: Google docs / Basecamp / Google wave Site map, wireframe, inventory, task/assignments Status updates / milestones Punch List

36. AVOID: Splash / Flash intro page Animated graphic over use, scrolling banner text, gimmicks Large – slow loading graphics Overuse of java scripting Not being accessible: phone/email should be everywhere Frames Different backgrounds on pages (unless defining sections) Pop ups Non- text navigation Multiple fonts Cramming and crowding In your face advertising Bad grammar JARGON Bad or boring or unrelated graphics Torture – usability considerations

37. Some Best Practices:

39. TAGGING: Title Description Places

40. CHECK IT OUT

42. TESTING Verify site with validator.w3.org/ if the site passes for CSS and HTML there will be the ability to put a ‘badge’ on your site Browser compatibility: try browsershots.org to see how your site is seen on other browsers. Select top 5-6 browsers (mac / pc) test navigation, all forms and function. Use Google webmaster tools to check for broken links and verify xml site map was submitted and approved. Final spell check: orangoo.com, jspell.com, spellr.us, texttrust.com Verify all images have alt tag - use keywords (not logo.gif ) Coding: on any browser select View > Source code Verify that the coding looks neat and organized (lame but worth it) and that the meta tags are in place and unique.

43. MARKETING YOUR SITE Send email announcement to a select group of friends/advisors to get feedback, test, etc. Make any final adjustments or corrections. Send Press Release, emails, etc. and announce the new site where ever you can and show off any new features and benefits. Business cards, brochures, postcards, envelopes, etc. have web address. Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Listings: dmoz, googleplaces, associations, membership sites, gowala, foursquare, digg, stumbleupon, etc.

44. Presented by: Mardy Sitzer Bumblebee Design & Marketing LLC 212-677-4050 Visit our website at bumblebeellc.com and register for our Weekly Blog: Notes from the Hive And our Monthly Newsletter Jump in on Twitter: twitter.com/MardySitzer Join us on Facebook: facebook.com/BumblebeeLLC Chat on: skype:MardySitzer Connect on Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/MardySitzer