Adrienne Halladay, Business Development Manager at Bevans Solicitors, writes about the Wonders of Website Marketing

Too often we spend time looking at and developing a complex business strategy for our businesses without taking into consideration the importance of ensuring that we integrate our web-strategy within this overall business strategy.

Questions that need to be asked (using a basic Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats “SWOT” analysis) include:

• How is you website currently working;




• Which areas/products are generating money;




• How can you differentiate yourself from other businesses:




• What are the new opportunities to be undertaken;




• What are your website’s strengths;




• What are your website’s weaknesses;




• What are your barriers to entry (i.e. legislation);




• How can service be improved.

Before embarking on the redevelopment of your existing website, it is important to consider a number of factors:- firstly you should contact a sample of your client base to find out what they really want from your website (not what you believe they want/need). This can be done by a number of means i.e. face to face interviews, group discussions, telephone interviews, postal questionnaires or even web questionnaires. Research in the marketplace is also crucial – it is vital to know what competitors are doing – both good and indeed bad!

Simple pointers to consider when developing/redeveloping your site are:

1. Do not have a slow loading site – so that viewers lose interest and “move on”;




2. Ensure that you have sufficient details of your business on the site;




3. Although it is useful to find out details of people visiting your site, do not make them register before being able to see any information;




4. Ensure that you provide good keywords attached to your site which can get you into the search engines;




5. Do not leave out-of-date material on the website – ensure you have new material on a frequent basis to encourage repeat visits;




6. Ensure that you have a navigation button on all pages of the site to allow you to access the home page as some sites will not allow you to “go-back”;




7. Always use terminology that visitors to your site will understand i.e. Private Client/Probate Department (not easily identifiable to everyone outside of the Law);




8. If you feel the need to use a “visitor counter” remember that if your site does not generate a lot of traffic and if a person logs on and sees that only 100 have previously visited the site, it does not instill confidence in your site.

Contact Adrienne Halladay, Business Development Manager 0117 923 7249