Update Existing Website. New Features and Tools
What can people do on your site?
A website is made up of predominantly visual and written content (images and text) and it is extremely important that the visual design and content work correctly for the type of site you have. As an extension users have high expectations of being able to interact to get information, results, purchase etc with the websites they visit.
Such items are often referred to as the functional items of a website, which can also be confused with a site being functional. i.e. A functional website is one that meets the user’s needs or in a more simplistic sense operates as it should.
Functionality describes what your site can do – what features, tools and capabilities it has that benefits the visitor when they use your website, or gives you, the ‘owner’ advantages when managing your site.
The important point here to remember is your website should be developed to meet your user’s needs, not yours. You need to understand how your user will want to interact with you, and design your website around their requirements.
If your customer can’t find what they are looking for on your website easily, they’ll leave.
An existing website should be continually reviewed to see what added functionality could be used on the site to improve your visitor’s experience. Because website development involves fast changing technology, what was state of the art two years ago, is now old today.
By updating your existing website and adding new functionality you can attract potential new customers, and ensure the old ones continue to return.
The list of ways you can enhance the functionality of your website is only limited by your imagination, but can include tools or features such as:
- Online Newsletter Subscription – allowing visitors to sign up to your newsletter on your website. An online newsletter will let you tap into potential customers and help you build relationships with them. Online newsletter tools such as Ireckon Post allow you to manage your newsletter subscriptions effortlessly and build and send newsletters to your customers with ease and in a timely fashion.
- Event Calendar – allowing you to keep your visitors informed of any upcoming events.
- Online Forms – allowing customers to connect with you effortlessly. Using online forms simplifies the process for your customers to interact with you and allows you to gather the information you want.
- Blogs – allowing customers to form a relationship with you by providing interesting or useful information to them
- Surveys – allowing you to find out the opinions of your visitors.
- Shopping Catalogue – allowing visitors to peruse and purchase your products online securely. An online shop allows you to open your door to customers all day, every day.
- Content Management – allowing you to update content on your site regularly, as and when you want to. A content management system will save you time and money by giving you control over when you update content and what you want to add. You may only want to update news or PR on your site, or want full control over all content. Products such as Ireckon Mini CMS, or ARKCMS allows you to update content on your website without the need for complex programming skills.
- Photo Gallery – allowing you to add and display your photos online. An online photo gallery allows you to manage your photos online with ease.
So, if your existing website is in need of an update, then added functionality may be the answer. Work out what the reason is visitors want to come to your website for, and provide them with a website that not only looks good, but offers functionality that makes their online experience with you memorable and makes them want to come back time and again.
