A website can be a powerful tool. Millions of businesses use their websites to create a brand for themselves and expose their products and services to an international marketplace. Although websites have the potential to turn a business into a gold mine, a website can also turn a business into a failure if business owners are not careful.  Business owners must ensure their site has all of the elements needed to become successful.

A great design is the first key to a successful website. First impressions are important. The content, colors, and layout are the first thing that people notice when they visit a site. A great design will allow the content to be presented in a way that is pleasing to the eye. In addition to having a beautiful design, the website must also be functional. Features such as comment boxes, customer portals, and membership only sections enhance the experience of the user.

Good content is just as vital as good design. There is a saying that “Content is King”. If a business owner is passionate about their product or service they will find it easier to write compelling information about their services, products, and company. However, business owners can also consider hiring a talented writer to produce informative articles that can help their website stand out.

Having an RSS Feed is helpful, but having a newsletter is even more helpful. Most companies will hire a reputable newsletter printing company to help them create a newsletter. Fortunately, there are low-cost and free newsletter services available online. Newsletters provide one major benefit – they provide a way for business owners to remain in contact with site visitors. Newsletters are also a good way to keep clients informed about the latest happenings. They can be a powerful marketing tool and should be a part of every website.

A ‘contact us’ area of the website is essential. Unfortunately, there are thousands of websites that are missing this essential feature. Visitors need to know they can easily reach someone at a company. Having a contact page builds credibility, implies trustworthiness, and is simply a good form of customer service.

A website should also have good SEO. Search engine optimization determines if the website becomes a hit or remains undiscovered. If a website page ranks well with the search engines, a person will see increased traffic and increased clientele. Search engine optimization requires a good understanding of keywords, phrases, image titles, meta tags and tags that search engines can easily identify. Business owners need to carefully review each of their web pages individually, decide what the page is about, and then optimize that page accordingly.

As far as legal matters go, websites also need a privacy policy disclaimer or at least a ‘terms of use’ page. These disclaimers and pages clearly alert visitors to what they are agreeing to when using the site. Today, there are numerous privacy policy generators on the web that can help a business owner create a privacy statement or disclaimer that is suitable for their business.

Launching a great website is not an easy task, but it’s well worth the effort. A good website will be attractive, easy on the eyes, and easy to navigate. With the right website, business owners should expect to see a prosperous future for their company.