The Bare Minimum

Let's start with the bare minimum: the information that should appear on every small business Web site. I'm hoping you already thought of these things.

Business Name

This may sound like a real no-brainer, but it's important to provide the correct, complete name of your business on your Web site. You want to make sure that visitors know which business they're visiting online. This is especially important if you have competition with a similar sounding name or your Web site's URL does not accurately reflect your business name.

Here's an example. Coldwell Banker Bob Nuth & Associates (http://www.wickenburgrealestate.com/) is the local office of the nationwide real estate chain Coldwell Banker. When selecting a domain name for his site, owner Bob Nuth wanted a name that identified what his business does. He selected and registered the name wickenburgrealestate.com. Unfortunately, another real estate firm in town is called Wickenburg Property Management ”a name that is similar to Bob's domain name. Bob prevents confusion between his firm and other local Realtors by clearly identifying his firm throughout his Web site, using Coldwell Banker logos and colors (see Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1. The Web site for Coldwell Banker Bob Nuth & Associates clearly identifies the company, through the use of logos and colors.

A Trend to Avoid: Trading Content for Pizzazz

I've been surfing the Web for years now and have seen Web pages progress from simple collections of detailed information to graphic- intensive , flashy, animated blobs of color . It seems that most Web designers are more interested in building a site that looks good than one that provides information that can be found, read, and understood .

Don't fall into this trap! Content should be your primary concern when deciding what should be included on your Web site. The more information you provide, the more your [potential] customers and clients can learn when they visit your site.

Remember Chapter 2? That's where I discussed what a Web site can do for you. Keep your objectives in mind throughout the Web site planning process.

Business Description

Here's another no-brainer: providing a description of what your company does. This is especially important if the name of your business doesn't shed any light on the products or services you offer.

Chrome Caballeros Tours (http://www.chromecaballeros.com/) is a good example. The name tells you that it has something to do with tours, but the rest is a mystery ”especially if you don't know what a caballero is. (It's Spanish for knight ; does that help?) But owner Dave Waddell makes it clear what his company does right on his Web site's home page (see Figure 5.2), through the use of detailed descriptions and color photographs of his motorcycle camping adventures .

Figure 5.2. The Chrome Caballeros Home page makes it clear what the company does, through the use of detailed descriptions and photographs.

Contact Information

Here's another basic piece of information that is sometimes missed: complete contact information. Some people (like me!) use the Web as a tool for looking up mailing addresses, phone numbers , or e-mail addresses for companies like yours.

Contact information should include:

• Company name and primary mailing address.

• Mailing addresses of branch offices.

• Phone and fax numbers for individuals or departments customers or clients may want to contact. Be sure to include a toll-free number if you have one.

• E-mail addresses for individuals or departments customers or clients may want to contact.

It's also a good idea to indicate how long it might take for a customer or client to get a return phone call or e-mail message. For example, if you check e-mail once a day during the work week, you may want to warn site visitors that they should expect a response to e-mail inquiries within one business day.

Hours of Operation

If your business keeps specific hours, be sure to tell site visitors what those hours are ”including the time zone! This will prevent frustration among visitors who try to call you at 4 pm Pacific Time when your business is only open from 8 am to 6 pm Eastern Time. It will also prevent site visitors from stopping by your place of business when you're closed.