Consumer Confidence:

Your Website is Your Shopfront

By: Alistair Baker, CEO & Founder, Cogent Business Limited

Amazon, ebay, Google, You Tube, Facebook. Today these company's and brands are household names,
fuelled by the digital revolution. Just after the turn of the millennium, the crazy soothsayers of doom
were bunkering themselves in homemade nuclear shelters with stockpiles of provisions because the
millennium bug was the day of Armageddon. Few but the technorati would have heard of more than
two of those companies at best – I think I knew of three.

My five-minute estimate of the value of these companies is about £150 billion, £25 for every man,
woman and child on the face of the planet. Some of them still don't make much, if any, money. However,
they all have millions and millions of customers, if not billions: you, me and Mavis next door. We use
their products daily because they are the new forums, tools and shopfronts that enable us to go about
our lives from the comfort of our own homes.

Today's customers have changed beyond all recognition, but no change is bigger than in how a
customer will research, compare prices and form opinions about a business without you ever physically
seeing them. The shopfront of the 21st century is at your www address. The way in which that window is
dressed, presented and entices will make a profound difference on customers' perception of your business.
If your website is weak, there is every chance that everyone except your existing customers will
assume that what is behind your virtual shopfront is of the same poor quality. If your website is down or
looks like the kid next door built it for you, fickle surfers will leave as fast as they arrived. If you don't
believe me, ask yourself how many times you have bounced off someone else's site for exactly these
reasons. The hardest part of getting a great web presence is working out what you want your website to
do for you and, far more importantly, for your customers. If your site is not:

  • Easy to spell, easy to remember, easy to find
  • Immersive - helping customers spend time looking around and browsing
  • Clean and compelling - great content without any clutter
  • Responsive - has a call to action: what do you want your customer to do next: buy online, email you, call
    you, you call them?

Then you have some work to do on your site! You are not allowed to be the judge; you have to ask real
customers what they think.

The next challenge is to find the right company to work with you that is skilled in both technology and
design.

If you would like more information on how to make the web a core part of your business why not have a
look at our briefing paper on Building a Great Business Website Experience.

A great website does not have to cost a lot of money these days, but in today's world a poor website can
cost you a small fortune!

Learn more about Routine Magic™, GreenBox, BlackBox, SafeBox, and Zoned Branding.