I recently decided to browse the web sites of my major competitors in a particular geographic market. What I observed was both troubling and exciting. It was troubling in the sense that the vast majority of the web sites were so poorly designed that a potential client would likely leave the page in disgust before thinking of hiring these bozos. It was exciting for the exact same reason – these are my competitors after all.

In the information age, your web page is probably the most important advertising tool for your company. Yet, it’s amazing to see firms spending hundreds of dollars each month on phone book advertizing while dedicating zero resources to their web presence. I can’t even remember the last time I used a phone book for something other than a plant stand. Do you think your target clients are any different?

It’s time to start taking a serious look at the message that your web page is sending to your potential customers. If the message goes something like, “I’m an ignorant buffoon who has no grasp of technology, marketing, or the important role that the Internet plays in promoting my business,” maybe you need to reconsider your web strategy. Start by putting yourself in the client’s shoes. As a visitor to a web site, what is important? Here is a list of key considerations:

• Pages must be fast loading. If a visitor is waiting around more than 20 seconds for your fancy Flash animations to load up, they’re outta here!
• It must be easy to navigate. You want potential clients to be able to find the information they are looking for. Distracting graphics, confusing menus, and poor layouts don’t help in this regard.
• Make it look professional. Even if your teenage nephew built the site in a couple of days, you don’t necessarily want it to look that way. People can spot an amateur site a mile away. Some dead giveaways include pixelized graphics, hard-to-read text, and stupid animated gif images.
• Cut the crap. There’s nothing worse than a lengthy dissertation of clichés disguised as a professional business website. No one wants to read paragraph upon paragraph about how your firm offers “innovative solutions” and “outstanding service.” Keep it concise and focus on those qualities that set your firm apart from your competitors who are using the same overused jargon on their web sites.
• Present a clear call to action. What are you selling and how do I sign up? You want customers, not just visitors. Capture the contact information of those checking out your site. Invite them to sign up for your newsletter, fill out a quote request, or click a big button that says ‘Have someone contact me.’
• Add value. This is a tough one and very few professional service businesses do it effectively. What do people gain by visiting your site? Maybe your site has an online forum where visitors can post comments, questions, and feedback. Maybe they can download a free white paper on a particular topic. There are endless possibilities. Be creative and change things up periodically.

Don’t cut corners on your business web site. The technology is now such that anyone with a browser can build a web site, but most people have no clue how to really market their business on the web. Hire a professional developer with a proven track record for success. Check out their other work and tell them what you want. If you choose to do it yourself, don’t start from scratch. Purchase a nice template from www.templatemonster.com and practice using Adobe Dreamweaver to customize it and make edits. Whatever approach you decide, don’t fall into the trap of so many firms whose stagnant web presence does more harm than good for the image of the business. These guys are better off sticking to the phone book.