A great website is the key to a great online marketing strategy.

I just read an article that a survey by 1&1 Internet reported that up to 40% of small-to-medium sized business still don't have a website. Can you believe that? Well, I can ... since I recently was searching on the Internet to get more information on candidates in my local election. Needless to say, the majority of them didn't even have a one-page website. Operating without a website is just plain silly. And operating with a "bad" website is even more preposterous. You know those sites that are so large and so difficult to navigate that every time you click a link you get the 404 error message. Or the sites where you have to click on 100 links to get to the page you want. Needless to say, I don't stick around that long. I go to another site where I can find the information I need. Your website needs to perform for you ... not just be there. A well-thought out website will reap many benefits.

Over ten years ago most companies used outside sales reps, inside sales reps, literature fulfillment services and their website, to a minor degree, to generate leads. Now the trend has shifted in that your website is most likely acquiring 50-75% of your sales leads via your website plus blogs, podcasts or social media sites. Your customers want to be educated about your products or services ... they don't want to be "sold". So how do you create a great website? Here are a few tips.

What if you created a fantastic website but no one came to it? Just building a great website will not bring potential customers. Your website needs to be found online. That is why SEO or Search Engine Optimization is so important. While I won't go into detail here about SEO, you can read articles about new marketing techniques on my blog. You must build inbound links to increase your SEO rank. Basically, you need to get other websites to link back to you. You can post comments on other people's blogs, post a link on Twitter, etc. Submit your website to online directories. But, please don't buy your links. Not a good thing. On-page SEO is also another way to draw people to your site when they use search engines. Include keywords on your website in the body content and also in file names of images, in headlines and subheads. Don't forget to do a 301 Redirect. If you've moved a page make certain the old URL is directed to the new page or you risk your customers getting a 404 message.

2. Design
Think of the design of your website like a first meeting with someone. What is the first impression? Does your site look nice? Does it look professional? Credible? Trustworthy? Is it welcoming? Is it obvious the customer is in the right place? For more design tips, see my blog article on getting a website facelift. Layout, typography, colors, and images are all important parts of a good web design. But don't forget great content, imparting key messages, having a search box on every page, and last but not least, good navigation. Try not not to use Flash and animation. HTML5 is a great alternative if you require animations. And make sure your website can be viewed on an iPad, iPhone or Android smartphone. Your customers most likely are browsing using mobile phones and tablets versus their desktop computers.

Content is king and one way to kill your website is to have lousy content. Make sure people know who you are and what you do. And answer the question why they should buy from you. Try not to use industry-speak. Use plain words. Include clear calls-to-action and why the visitor should take the next step. You can easily test your website copy using Google's Website Optimizer. Offer value, don't just sell to your visitor. Offer free white papers, free information, third party research, industry data, or whatever you feel your customers think is important. But, offer something unique that your competition isn't offering. And, please use good grammar and catch the typos. Blog to add more content to your website. I'm sure you have tons of information within your company that is important to your customers or prospects. Add your social media widgets to your website and also add sharing widgets so that visitors can share your content on their social media channels. Try some of the new ways to communicate like videos, podcasts, or create your own online tools. People want more than just text. Make your website an enriched experience for the visitor.

So now that you have great content, a beautiful website and lots of visitors, what do you do next? Well, you need to convert them. Add a newsletter subscription box on your website. Create landing pages with special offers and promote those offers via other social media sites, web banner ads, etc. Change the word "SUBMIT" to Download for FREE or JOIN my mailing list. SUBMIT is a pass� word these days. People want to get something for their effort. And send an auto response with a thank you acknowledging their effort. Keep the form above the fold so that it is easy for them to find it.

Follow a few of these ideas and your marketing programs will continue effortlessly throughout the summer season.