Matt Way’s Blog » archive for 'Work'

Websites Should Have a Purpose

  • June 16th, 2007

It seems to be the same old dilemma. Each time I meet with a new client one of the first things I like to ask them is “What is the purpose of your site?” Nearly everyone gets a look on their face like I should already know the answer to that question. After I patiently pause for a few seconds they usually say something to the effect of “to make  more money with my business”, or “to make my business seem more professional”.

Another one I ask is “What group are you looking to target with your website?” Nearly all of them answer “everyone”. These questions, along with others will generally give me a good idea of what to expect from the client. This is helpful because it serves as a sort of compass to help determine how much help they will need in coming up with ways to help the visitors.

In order to have a successful website, the site owner has to realize that the goal is to fill a specific need that a certain group of people have rather than to fill a self-centered need that the majority couldn’t care less about. Let’s look at an example.

Branson Condo Information

There is a real estate team in Branson that seems to have come up with a great tool that I think is a nice example of our topic. It’s basically a Branson condo information research tool  and we’ll look at why I said it is a good example.

When you land on the home page you’ll notice that the site is built around a program that organizes information regarding condominiums in and around the Branson area. The first thing I noticed is the map that has all the condo complexes mapped for me (the visitor) to browse through.

When I find an area I like, I can click a pushpin to get a pop up balloon with some basic information in it - including the address. Inside that balloon there is a link to more details. It’s at the end of this link that the real stuff I (the visitor) am interested in.

Detailed Condominium Real Estate Info

Once I click the details link, I get a page that is chock full of sales information on condos in the Branson Tri-Lakes area. There is a list of units that are currently available as well as sales history on past units.

The rest of the site is your standard realty information, nothing real special. The main benefit to the visitor though is obvious. They get to look at a variety of condominium complexes and see which ones might be what they are looking for.

There is no doubt that this site was built with that purpose in mind. On top of that, the site isn’t going to interest “everyone”. Only a select group are going to be shopping for a condo.

In short, the more site owners think about the purpose of their site before it is built, the more success they will have once it is completed and marketed.

Get Web Traffic Not Links

  • April 5th, 2007

Usually when I think about search marketing, I think of getting links to my site. Most of my client understand this aspect of the web yet disregard the opposite - the need to link to other helpful websites that are related to your own. In fact, just the other day, I had a client come right out and tell me that they did not want to link to any other websites. I was dumbfounded.

The Problem is in the Basic View

So why do people make these mistakes? Well, one cause is that they are thinking from the wrong perspective. They have a ‘got to get links mentality’ rather than the ‘got to get traffic frame of mind’. Yet when one operates on this foundation, she misses the opportunities that exist for traffic.Buying traffic verses links brings more benefits.

So, what is the difference? Well, let’s look at an example.

Promoting Branson Area Real Estate

Real estate agents in my area consistently seek better rankings in SEs, yet few of them are willing to give outbound links to related sites. What can they do? Well, one option is to buy links to their website (which, by the way, many do) and thus not have to give a link in return.

Seems like a great idea right? Well consider this option:

In Branson, there is a marketing company that has put together what I believe to be an excellent concept that is designed to push traffic to a real estate agent rather than just links. Browse around at this Branson real estate TV channel and you’ll see what I mean.

First, this concept has a website to promote all the REALTORS® in their members database. Second, the concept carries a 24 hr. cable channel devoted exclusively to the showing of homes in the Branson area. So not only are there benefits coming to participants from the Internet through the link provided on the website, but they get the community awareness through the television channel as well.

Along with the web and TV traffic generation, the company that designed this concept also promotes the channel through TV commercials and print advertising so the effects are compounded, not to mention a variety of other important benefits. In fact, the website has an entire section discussing the advantages to real estate agents using HomeStation.TV verses traditional methods of marketing property.

In short, when a real estate agent purchases advertising from this marketing company, they get advertising for their brand across a variety of mediums instead of just a link to their website. To me, it just seems to make more sense.

Where’s the Fire?

  • September 25th, 2006

I recently did a design job on a small website that represents a construction company out of Hudson, New York. This company specializes in fireplace and/or chimney restoration and repair. While looking through the images supplied for the design work, I was amazed at how big a difference restoring the stone or brick on a firplace or chimney can make.

Of course, this company doesn’t limit their work to fireplace restoration. They construct stone walls, porches, and one job they did was for a lighthouse! It seems like a fascinating job. However, it seems like a lot of heavy work and I’m guessing a person in that area of work would need patience too. I guess it’s all in how you look at it.

Long Time no Post

  • August 19th, 2006

Well, it’s been quite a while since my last post-although I doubt anyone really cares that much for a personal blog that this new.

Anyway, I have been working on some projects with by far the best programmer I have ever met. We have had some existing clients approach us wanting us to do some work for them, not to mention inquiries from others.

One was an agent in a Branson real estate office we have done work for in the past. She wondered if we could produce a site that would allow her real estate team to provide current information regarding Branson, MO condos. So, we just had to buckle down and construct BransonCondoHotline.com. She loved it, we’re happy with it, and all that is left is some of the actual page content that the agent is going to provide soon.

The other project, is for another realty office that will be new to the Branson area in September. I’ll try to remember to post a link to the site once it is completed.

I figured I better post today because tomorrow we have yet another project to get done. Anyway, nothing really as entertaining as my last post about the different methods for eating a taco, but, I just figured I would write something so all would know that this blog is not dead or rotting.

Until next time, see ya!

My Work is Web Design

  • July 11th, 2006

I figure three posts is about the right time to start talking about what I do for a dying. Yeah, normally that would be living, but I live in an area where not many businesses understand how beneficial it is to utilize a website and I design them.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many websites up for businesses in my area, it’s just that they generally fall into one of two categories: 1) They look like they were built and/or maintained by someone’s neighbor’s brother’s uncle’s niece’s friend’s sister’s cousin that read html for idiots. 2) They are using a web design company that is using them.

I’m not kidding, I did some consulting work for a resort last week and guess what I found, text hidden on the home page. (this can get your site banned from search engines) The development company wasn’t even doing it for the client, the text that was hidden was the web address of one of the web design company’s own websites. Yuk! It irritates me to no end.

Anyway, I am not really dying from not having any business. I actually have a meeting tomorrow with a local sports collectibles and apparel shop. They seem like bright business people that will see the many benefits of having a site. And I have other sites that I have either built or maintain for the client.

So there it is, my “what I do for a living” post.