Ask SCORE
Presented by Fox Valley Chapter 289                                              
Issue: 20                         www.ScoreFoxValley.org May 2009 
SCORE Counselor listening 
Greetings!
 
Have you studied the Web sites of your competitors lately? If so, rate your own Web site against theirs for functionality. Do you appear credible? Are you perceived as easy to do business with?  Here are some pointers...
  

Online Marketing 

Make Your Web Site Memorable for the Right Reasons 

 
As more and more customers rely on Internet search engines and online directories to locate sources of products and services, Web sites are increasingly becoming a "must" for all types of small businesses. But it's not enough to simply have a presence on the Web.  Unless your site is set up with the customer's needs in mind, it may be doing very little to benefit your business.
 
Whether you design the site yourself or work with a crackerjack professional designer, it's important to remember that looks, though important, are not everything.  Even the most attractive site is simply taking up cyberspace if it's not functional.
 
Consider what your site is like from the user's perspective.  Are the various functions easy to find and use?  Can customers find what they want fast?  Your goal is to have a site that appears professional and credible to customers as well as being easy to navigate. For a prospect intent on buying, there is nothing more frustrating than having to deal with a clumsy or cluttered site. Categories should be clear and logical.
 
And while the Web's almost unlimited space gives you the choice of drowning customers with product details, you may want to exercise some restraint. Give visitors the option of clicking to more information if they wish, but don't force it on them. Coax customers by stages. Filling out forms is often necessary, but keep them simple and break them into bite-sized parts.
 
And by all means make the photos or other graphics on your site compelling, not the same old generic stock photos you see everywhere. Use graphics of real people and places to add personality to your site and reinforce the notion that your business exists in the real world, too.
 
The bottom line is that your small business Web site should be built around convenience -- the very reasons that have made doing business online so popular.  That means clear, concise text with relevant graphics; straightforward operating instructions; fast, simple checkout processes for online sales; and no surprises or dead-ends -- the same features YOU look for when you do shopping or research online.
 
To learn more about technology and Internet issues facing your small business, contact SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." 
 
The Fox Valley SCORE Chapter offers free, confidential counseling to small businesses, including start­ups. Affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration, SCORE has counselors available in nine locations in the counties and suburbs west of Chicago.
 
To sign up for an appointment at the location closest to you, go to ScoreFoxValley.org.

 

  Copyright (c) SCORE Association
SCORE Logo 2
We look forward to helping you evaluate your Web site as a key part of your marketing program.
 
Sincerely,
 
The Counselors at SCORE
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Grants prodided by the Kane County Riverboat Fund, the Alfred Bersted Foundation, and the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley.
 
SCORE Web Site 
Where can you get the official word? 
BUSINESS.GOV is the U.S. Government's link to small business legal requirements, including tax and employment guidance. Find loans and grants. Get business licenses and permits. Register your business name. Whether national, state or local, you'll find this one-stop shop may be all you need. 
 
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Free Counseling
 
Click any link below to sign up for free counseling at that location. Seek help as many times as you like.
 
 
For evening hours, see Naperville.
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Legal Corner
Sponsored by
Poznak Law Firm, Ltd.
 
Ethical decision making in business is seldom easy. 
How do you decide what to pay your workers? Who to lay off first? What overdue jobs get priority? Here are four approaches to consider...

Click here.
Workshop in progressMAY WORKSHOPS cover Cost Savings, Start-up, Planning, Bookkeeping, Financing, Retailing, Pricing, Inventory, and even Restaurants! 
 
SCORE has teamed with Harris Bank to present a FREE workshop on "Efficiencies and Cost Saving Tips from an Accountant."  Plan to attend on Tuesday, May 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wheaton Public Library. Register now.
 
Plus, the month has a full schedule of short, affordable workshops being held at the College of DuPage in Lisle, Waubonsee Community College in Aurora, Elgin Community College and Joliet Junior College. Choice of topics. Choice of locations.