It’s amazing how many people take the leap to create a website for their business without first conducting even some basic market research.  Having a web presence or selling online is not the same as running your bricks and mortar location – there are different considerations that must be taken into account.  

Effective use of imagery reinforces your message.

Effective use of imagery reinforces your message.

Your website is an extension of your brand, and its look, feel and content must match the image you want to portray to your customers. Today, your website is one of your most important marketing tools, and it deserves the support of market research in order to ensure its success.

A simple, but crucial, exercise for business owners is to start by answering these three questions about the website:

1.Who are the intended audiences of the website?

This may include industry professionals, current customers, as well as prospective customers.  Prospects may not have the luxury of personally visiting your business location, so your website is an important opportunity to make a great first impression.  Make sure that you know as much about your target markets as possible to allow for your website’s design to match the needs and preferences of these groups.

W. Hirsch Oriental Rugs site targets inquisitive customers both local and afar...

2. What do these audiences need to know about your business?

The images and written content on your website must align the goals of your business with the needs of your target markets.  Your website visitors may need to know the hours of operation for your business, but may not care about the history of the building in which you operate.  Once you have a clear understanding of who your targets are, you can more accurately determine the most important information to share with them via your website.  And remember, less is more when it comes to your website – recent studies show that Internet users spend as little as 50 milliseconds scanning a website before deciding whether it is of value to them or not.

3. How to design the website to give the “who” “what” they want?

Let’s be honest, 50 milliseconds is really not a lot of time.  That means that your website has to visually grab people as soon as it pops up; the colors, images and even the logo have to instantly be able to communicate information about your business to your target audiences.  While the first two questions may seem pretty basic and can be easily answered by the business owner, the “how” of website design is best handled by a professional.  Just like you spend all day focusing on your business, professional website designers spend all day online, and they understand the mechanics and trends of a successful website better than anyone.

50 miliseconds is not much time...

As you begin to think about a new or updated website for your business, remember the importance of basic market research techniques in helping you, and a professional website designer, create the best online presence for your business.