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Auto-responders
If you are not able to
answer each email you receive immediately, a carefully-worded
auto-response is significantly better than no response at all. Auto-response
programs can also be individualized to include information (like the
person's name), which was entered on a form. You never want
to create the impression that you have an unattended website. This
is the same reason it is critical that dated information is always kept
current. An announcement for an event that ended last week is a
sure sign that you are not actively involved with the visitors to your
website. If you cannot keep your information current yourself,
either hire someone who can or pay for a "streaming content"
service. For more on site content, click
here.
Website
Maps
WebSiteMaps.com
uses cutting edge illustration techniques and next generation graphic design tools to create high resolution, fast loading maps for use on the Web. These are hand drawn custom maps.
A map from WebSiteMaps.com
is a great way to help build your image on and offline. With the purchase of any custom map,
WebSiteMaps.com
will also produce for you a copy in a print and fax friendly format.
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The minimum charge to design a custom map is $39.95 USD. For larger maps, more complex maps, or interactive maps like the one shown
left, additional charges may apply. To request a quotation, visit WebSiteMaps.com
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Clubs and other active content
Depending on the content of your site, you may want to consider letting your visitors join interest groups or submit content to your site. We strongly caution against adding an unmonitored guest book, chat room or bulletin board, however. If you have anything on your site to which visitors can add their own words before you have a chance to edit it, you will find your site used by people selling their own products or
services or to express any manner of thoughts that you will probably not want to be associated with your business. You can subscribe to a content service to keep content fresh or you can write your own. Here is an example of free content you can get for your site: Read: Five
Reasons to Check Your Credit Report Regularly
Learn from others
Look at other websites (but don't copy), be creative and make your site an experience that people will want to share with their friends! Recommendations, references, links and re-visits all represent traffic for which you do not have to pay. That's the best kind!
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Step 8:
Building Your Customer Base
Gathering information
Every website you own should
include a form where visitors can give you their email address. Of
course, only a small percentage of visitors will share that information,
but those who do can be developed into future customers and repeat
visitors. On the top of each page in this website you will see a
form used to establish a mailing list.
Privacy statements
Every website you own should display your customer/user privacy statement (Click here for examples and help in creating an online privacy statement). It is important that you
keep your word to your subscribers. That is, if you say you will
not sell or distribute your email list to others, your MUST NOT SELL OR
SHARE these email addresses. If you respect the privacy and wished
of your subscribers and provide useful information in your emails, your
reward is that you will have repeat visits from them and will have a
ready audience for important announcements you need to make about your
business. Unless you are a news service, we do not recommend sending
emails or newsletters to your list more often than once a week. Sometimes once a
month is even better!
Tell a Friend
Offer incentives to your
current customers to tell their friends and business associates about
your site in any way that is appropriate to the content and purpose of
your site. You may need to try several different incentives before
you find one that works. An inexpensive, yet effective incentive
is to give them more chances to win in a contest you are running for
every friend they send to your site. Another is to give them some
kind of priority access to your services. It might be something as
simple as offering a 10% coupon on products they purchase on your site
after they have sent a few new customers.
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