You wont Believe what is Happening in.

We live in a world of technology, but I have seen too many small businesses and non-profits think there really is no need to have much of a web presence (especially with their website).

Every day we use computers, tablets and smartphones. If you want to stay current, you need to be well versed in how to maximize the Internet, social media and apps. The future is ever closer with scientists moving at full throttle in order to use 3-D printers to produce human organs and having self-driving cars become as ubiquitous as the ones we see today being driven by error prone humans.

It's simple to think that your organization's website is not really that important, or worse, that websites are something old and of another era. Your website, in fact, is what your business card used to be. You want to make sure everyone has it. You want to make certain people can find it easily with a straightforward URL. And when people visit, you want to have it stands out and show your commitment to excellence and presenting a good company or non-profit image.

Here are some key facts for you:

* Around the world, nearly 2.5 billion people use the Internet.

* In 2012, eCommerce grew by 15% to $186 billion.

* In 2012, there were over 644 million websites.

* Over 4.3 billion have a mobile device.

What does that say to you?

It says opportunity.

So, how do you make an effective website? There are a few things you want to keep in mind when developing or revamping your website:

Elevator Pitch - Do you know how your more senior colleagues say to you that you need to be able to make a pitch in an elevator if you happen to meet a prospective client or donor? That's true. You have less than 5 seconds to capture someone's attention. Make sure you have a compelling reason for them to stay on your site. What do you do and what's the benefit?

Keep it Current - I look at websites because of my business hundreds of times per week. I can't tell you how often I am seeing content that is years old about events that happened way in the past, for example. Give people a reason to keep coming back to your site. Add a blog, update news and press information regularly. Don't just build a site and then forget it.

Make it Skim Friendly - In today's world with so much out there, no one is going to read a dissertation on your website. You need to have pictures and your written content needs to be something that is easy to be skimmed quickly. Less is more. If people become interested, you can have accompanying links for more information, but in order for them to get there, you first have to pique their interest quickly.



You wont Believe what is Happening in... by JahazVId