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Leveraging the Web

For many companies today, having a web site is like having a telephone or a fax... it's virtually a cost of doing business. But many small businesses really don't have a coherent web strategy. For example,
  • They haven't created a web site, figuring "that's for the big guys."
    • But web sites don't have to be expensive, you can start with a simple one.
The result is the business looses out to (often even smaller) competitors who do have a web site. For professional organizations (doctors, lawyers, real estate professionals, etc.) their clients assume if you don't "at least have a web site" that your business isn't real. Vanishing Clouds can help you develop that first, simple site at a minimal cost.
  • They may have a basic web site that describes their company or their products/services.
    • But they haven't changed the content since they originally published it, perhaps years ago.
The result is interest in their web site has been falling since it was originally created. Vanishing Clouds can help with a quick refresh of your site or a complete redesign using custom graphics for a more professional look.
  • Their web site consists of "brochure-ware"; that is basically the same content as their offline marketing materials.
    • But they don't leverage the interactive power of the web.
The result is they miss a key opportunity to get closer to their customers/suppliers. Today people expect to be able to order online, check the status of your service to them, fill out applications/forms/etc. or maybe just schedule an appointment with you. The best thing about these projects is: they shift costs from you (to answer telephones, do data entry, etc.) to your customer—and they will thank you for it! Vanishing Clouds can help you identify the development projects with the best ROI.
  • Their site has lots of moving parts... so called "eye candy" or their site was designed by "artists" without regard for the business problem. Often these sites are beautiful.
    • But generally these sites take a long time to download (even at DSL or cable speeds) or are confusing to navigate.

The result is the site gets very little traffic and a web log analysis shows visitors don't stay long... certainly not long enough to learn about your business. Vanishing Clouds can help you conduct an inexpensive usability study to identify what parts of your site's design work, and which ones don't.

Go to the gallery to view a few of the web sites we have designed.