A Good Website makes a Great First Impression

Why only recently? Well, having moved to a new town to set up my own business, I am for the first time responsible for all my own advertising and marketing - and also for my business networking.

Being new in town, one of my first tasks was to put together a list of local businesses I wanted to approach, then call them to see who was interested in meeting with me.

Nearing the address for the first meeting I had arranged, I was surprised to find myself in a residential area. I had been expecting a shopfront for the office address. I was thinking to myself "OK, they don't have a traditional shopfront, but I'll be able to see a sign for the business in their front garden instead." But there was no sign in the garden; in fact there wasn't even a plaque next to the doorbell.

I was even starting to think I had the wrong address until the door opened and I was shaking hands with the business owner.

It was the website that had created the expectation that I was dealing with a high street business. Looking back, three things had contributed:

The Design
The site was modern-looking and easy to use. I had noticed also the 'W3C valid' logos - now, non designers/coders might not understand these, but people notice affiliations & kitemarks and a big tick with 'valid' next to it is not traditionally a negative sign.

The Content
There was a wealth of information about the business' services, but also a comprehensive resources section. Plus, the content was displayed in such a way as to encourage clickthroughs from one section to the next, creating the impression of the proverbial bustling 'hive of activity'.

The Rankings
The site was on the first page of Google for its key term - 'service location'.

I wasn't disappointed with the owner of the business when we did meet. On the contrary: he struck me as capable, professional and successful, and I was very pleased to have made the contact. But given the impression of his business I had taken away with me from the internet, I would not have been surprised to have had to introduce myself to his secretary and wait in reception before meeting him, rather than have our meeting at his kitchen table.

And that shows the power of a good website.