Building Corporate Websites: The Do’s and Dont’s

So it’s happened at last: your company has decided to build a significant online presence with an honest to goodness corporate website. Really there’s no smarter move for a company to make because the web is the fastest growing market out there, offering unlimited possibility to the businesses who harness its full potential. Building the right website could make all the difference in your company’s reach and exposure, but there are a few points you should consider before you go too far down the path of creating one.

Don’t drag your feet about it

If your company wants to build a website, then you have to go big or go home. This is 2012, and it’s not enough for your company to host a single-page site with nothing more than basic contact info and a stock office photo. If you want your company to establish itself online, then it needs a robust, interactive, and visually stimulating site, one that clearly states the ideologies and mission statement of the organization in a sleek, literate manner.

Do invest in freelancer designers and writers

Of course it may very well be the case that no one on staff has the background or the experience to produce such a high caliber site, and that’s why you should take freelancers into consideration for the project. Freelance web designers and writers can realize all your company’s ideas and aspirations for a successful site, you simply have to hire the right help to get the job done the way you want it. There’s no need for spending precious time on jobs that you aren’t trained for, especially when it concerns your company’s online reputation.

Don’t make it complicated

While you don’t want your site to look like it was made in the early 2000’s, you also don’t want it to look like a digital obstacle course. If you’re hiring outside help to design the site, make sure to specify that you want a clean, easy interface that caters to customers with a wide variety of web experiences. If you are representing a large organization, like an IT firm, make sure you follow the guidelines in building a professional website. If you are going to design a site for an educational institute or a hospital, you can hire professionals on the web who can guide you with the best medical website practices or show you how to grab a student’s attention in the first look to make him/her sign up for your institute. In short, you want your site to look attractive enough to lure the most web-savvy customers, but simple enough to make new web users comfortable.

Do start a blog to accompany the website

In addition to a company website, you should strongly consider starting a company-based blog. The blog would serve as your company’s open forum, a place where employees can post and comment on news and events relevant to your company’s niche. Potential customers can visit your blog to gain an insight on your company from a more casual perspective. Blogging is a great tactic for companies that want to engage with new consumers online.