I’ve just been reading the latest issue of NETT magazine (if you’re into online business – subscribe to it now, it’s full of need-to-know information). In his editorial, Josh Mehlman talks about the online shopping habits of Australians and it spurred me onto a little bit of research of my own. Last year, 6.7 million Australians bought something online. That sounds great doesn’t it? That is until Editor Josh tells you that 43% of that 6.7 million bought their wares from a retailer outside of the country. That’s 2.8 million people taking their money and sending it overseas.

Why?

Simple answer – a majority of online retailers in Australia (and their web designers to a degree) are ignorant of the shopping needs and wants of the average consumer.

Put put yourself in the average online shopper’s shoes. What you want when you go online shopping?
• A fast loading site that is easy to navigate.
• Free shipping if possible – if not, clearly displayed charges.
• Express checkout, not a dozen screens to work through.
• Various options for payment.
• And last but not least, GREAT PRICES.

Honestly, the last point is the kicker. If you can buy something cheaper overseas, why buy it here? I understand that it may not be possible in some cases however the online store is supposed to get rid of the middle men thus reducing the cost.

The web designer can play a major part in the flow of the online shop (note: always include a search option in large online stores) however the store owner must keep the above points in mind at times when moving a store online. It would be great to get those 2.8 million people back to spending their money in Australia.

(Reference: Nett Magazine October 2009)

Ever been offered the Google toolbar? Always knocked it back thinking that it is just a gimmick or worse, spyware? I’ll let you in on a secret…. that toolbar can be a powerful asset in boosting the appeal of your site on Google.

Most of the toolbar I don’t even look at. Just one section – PageRank.

The PageRank is a major player in the algorithm that Google uses to work out a site’s placing in a search response. It needs to be fully explained for it to be understood clearly…

Your site starts with a PageRank of zero – no-one even knows it exists. You could submit your site to Google at this point however it would take months for it to even appear and even then you couldn’t guarantee search placement. Your friend has a site that has a PageRank of four and agrees to link to your site (of course you link back to him – its only polite). Automatically your site “inherits” some of the PageRank importance from your friends site.

You expand further and contact other web masters who also offer reciprocal links on their site. Once again, you “inherit” some of their importance. Before you know it, your site has a PageRank of four and is appearing on the first page of search results.

You can track this progress via the PageRank section on the Google toolbar. Keep building those reciprocal links and watch your site climb.
However this is only the first step in getting your site to the top.

One of the other tactics you can attempt (I’m not going to tell you them all – I do need the business) is tweeking the page titles of your site. Make them relevant to the search terms that your clients would use in Google. For example, I want to extract web design business in Cairns so my site title includes the words “web design” and “Cairns”. Simple isn’t it. Check your site statistics for an idea of the words that people are currently using to find your site – most tracking stats will have a list of the most common words used.

Can’t be bothered to do this? Easy fix…. contact Rusty Mango Design and we’ll do it for you

I’ve had a couple of clients recently enquire about updating their own websites. These sites were not designed with a CMS integrated, they were pure HTML creations, so I thought I would investigate a few “free” options to allow non-programmers to add/change content. Surprisingly, there are a number of free WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors out there. Unsurprisingly, most of them are rubbish. After looking for recommendations, I downloaded and installed the “best” programs – Amaya, NVU and Trellien.

Now hats off to the legends who created these programs. I am full of admiration for those people who devote many hours into creating Open Source software. The fact that I don’t recommend these programs to my clients is not a reflection on these people.

I simply can’t ask my clients to use software that won’t perform to their exact needs. Why won’t these programs perform? Because the sites were never intended to be updated by these magnificent pieces of programming. If the sites were built using these programs, I doubt I’d have a problem.

Solutions?

1. Get me to do the updates (of course I’d say that – I want your business).
2. Invest in Dreamweaver for $800 a copy.
3. Spend a little extra at the beginning and have a CMS built into the site.
Obviously, #3 is the way to go. Businesses/Organisations need to realise that a site is not simply stuck on the web to remain the same forever. They need regular updates to keep visitors returning. Bottom line – invest a little more in the initial stages and reap the benefits later on.

The internet is getting full. A recent technology article I read claimed that the internet was fast running out of IP addresses and that the WWW would soon be full. Not really doom and gloom when you realise that the internet is an almost living and breathing thing and the “head boffins” have already found a solution for that particular problem.

My main problem with the WWW is that it is getting so damn hard to find what you are looking for. I’m currently searching for a plugin that will allow me access to the dates and titles on each of my blog entries. The Wordpress Codex is massive and you really need to be very particular with your search terms in order to find anything.

This is where good site architecture comes into play. Designers need to be very wary of future growth for their sites or they’ll end up like the Education Queensland site which practically impossible to search or navigate – you sometimes actually need to phone EQ in order to ask where something is.

Rusty Mango Design hasn’t created any bemammoth sites yet (looking forward to that day though) however when the day arrives, navigation will be right up there on the list of priorities.