• In the online world, your website is your company – make sure it is an accurate portrayal. Your business is made up of people, dialogue, dreams and ideas as well as products – isn’t it?

• Your visitors will most likely only give you one chance to impress. Does your website welcome and treat them in the same way that you would if they visited your office?

• How well does your website fulfil its most important function of providing a platform for dialogue between the people within your business and both existing and potential customers?

The solution…

Avoid flash introductions – nearly 50% of visitors are likely to leave your site if the home page doesn’t load within four seconds. Don’t shout about your newest products or latest deals. Is that how you would greet a potential customer normally?

Ensure that the language used on your site, is the same as the language that you would use when talking with clients in person or over the phone. Did you know that people read websites in chunks? Try and ensure that the beginning of each new paragraph is about something new, and that the subject is made painfully obvious from the first word.

A successful website is all about successful outcomes. Know what a successful outcome is for your website, then gear everything around making sure that it happens.

If you want prospective clients to pick up the phone and call you, ensure that your telephone number is displayed on all relevant pages. If you want them to sign up for a newsletter, make the process as simple and straightforward as possible.

Remember the ‘two-click’ rule. If a successful outcome is not possible within two clicks of your homepage, you will be losing visitors.

By remembering these simple points your website can be made far more effective. Contact us for a quick, assessment of your existing site and some simple recommendations.

Lastly, remember to add us to your address book, and look out for January's 'Spotlight On...' marketing during the economic downturn.

Congratulations to all the winners and short-listed entries at the inaugural caterersearch.com awards. In particular to the winners of the categories sponsored by The Hub – youngs.co.uk for best pub or bar website, and myschoollunch.co.uk for winning overall site of the year.

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6/12/08: The Great Christmas Pudding Race
Covent Garden, London

7/12/08: Craft Guild of Chefs Christmas Lunch

11/12/08: IGD Glitter Ball 2008 Greater London

25/12/08: Christmas Day

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This month we were amused by:

Make my logo bigger cream,
Specsavers Barclaycard spoof, the Royal Mail dancing cat and costumes for guinea pigs!