Is it the web host? Surely they do backups and can restore a site if there is any problem.

Is it the the web designer? Surely they can simply re-instate it from a copy of the original.

Is it the owner? Surely they would realise the value of their online investment.

Unfortunately, so often the bare truth is that it is none of the above. Quite simply, no one is taking the necessary steps to ensure that a website is protected from either accidental or intentional harm. Let’s look at these situations one at a time:

• Web Hosts are responsible for providing the servers (computers) that host a web site. In most common situations a server is configured to host multiple accounts, or websites, that each belong to different owners. To use an analogy, a server can be thought of as a building full of rooms that are rented out to different tenants. The web host’s responsibility is to maintain the server as a viable platform for all the users who share it. To guard against system failure (for example a hard disk crash or faulty power supply) web hosts back up the entire server and all its contents. In the event of such a failure, the server can then be repaired and all user accounts restored to full operation. The important thing to realise is that the web host’s backups are of the whole system, not individual user accounts. If they do a restore, then they must restore all user accounts. They will not do that for a problem that has occurred to just one account, because it would affect all users on the same server.
• A web designer will usually have a copy of the application files that are associated with a web site, however that only addresses a small part of the problem. The most valuable (and difficult to replace) part of a web site is the data that has been added since it was initially created. And in most cases that is stored in a database – not the file structure. The normal situation is that web designers have nothing to do with a web site’s data (content) after the site is handed over to the owner. So they do not have a copy of any content that has been added since that time.
• Which brings us to the owner. Clearly they have the responsibility for their web site’s content, and they would certainly like to think that it was secure, but unfortunately, from an owner’s perspective,  the steps to be taken to set up a reliable backup regime are often either too confusing, or just forgotten.

In the end small business owners must accept that it is their responsibility to secure their online data. In many cases the most efficient and effective way to do this is to establish a professional support agreement that looks after the entire process on a scheduled basis.

The Online Shop Designer (TOSD) can provide just such an arrangement. In fact it is all part of the service

If you have any further queries regarding Support Agreements or online backups please leave a comment or contact us.

Usually when a site owner says their site does not work it means one of the following:

• They are not appearing in search engine results
• They are getting insufficient traffic to their site
• They are getting insufficient enquiries
• They are getting insufficient sales

Here is a snapshot of common reasons why a website does not work.

Not appearing in search engine results

This is a common problem – particularly for new websites. The solution will normally encompass:

• Keyword research
• Content written around the results of the keyword research
• On page optimisation for the selected keywords
• Off page optimisation designed to generate quality inbound links
• Social networking

Typically this may require input from the owner, web designer, copywriter and a specialist Internet Marketer.

Insufficient website traffic

Remember the saying ‘quality rather than quantity’ ? I have come across some site owners who obsess over the number of hits their site gets. But hits don’t buy products and services – customers do.

Having said that however, if you attend to the items in the previous paragraph regarding keyword analysis and search engine optimisation (SEO), not only will your traffic increase, but the resultant visitors to your site will be better qualified.

Insufficient sales or enquiries

Getting customers to your website is one thing, getting them to take an action that will lead to a positive outcome is quite another. Generally the big issues are these:

• Visitors must be able to easily find what they want
• Having found it, the quality of the content presented for their consideration must make them feel compelled to take action.

The first is directly related to structure and navigation. It requires a seamless, logical process flow from the home page to checkout (or enquiry form etc)

The second, relating to the content, is equally important. Does your product image just provide a wide angle view of the whole product, or does it provide a close up of that particular unique feature that sets it apart from its competition?  Does your content simply ‘describe’ the product or service, or does it provide compelling benefits related to its use and the customers application?

Where do I start – what steps should I take?

You can always simply hit the Net and research, research, research. Sometimes though research will still be only part of the answer. In the end the person executing the work must have the required skillset. If time is important and you need a professional result consider taking a shortcut . . .

1. Contact me for a free appraisal of your situation.
2. Depending on the outcome I will be happy to either provide assistance with any web design issues that may arise, or refer you to specialists in other disciplines who I know and trust.

Consider the following:

• In the end, the new business idea will need to be marketed, and for that a brand identity will be required. Perhaps paradoxically, this is the place to start. Over time the brand identity (visually expressed as a logo) tends to get embedded in many different media that become part of the marketing mix. To avoid costly reworks it makes good sense to embed it right at the outset. It also helps to avoid a diffusion of the brand’s identity through inconsistency.
• Secure the services of a competent graphic designer to create that all important logo. There are two main reasons for this:

The first is that a graphic designer with particular experience in logo development will have a well developed ability to delve right into the essence of the brand and be able to give those often esoteric elements visual expression. If you would like to be put in contact with a graphic designer skilled in the art of logo development, contact me and I will be happy to provide a recommendation.

The second is that a graphic artist will understand the requirements of all of the media in which the logo may ultimately be used and will design the logo to satisfy those technical requirements. As mentioned earlier, this can save costly reworks in the future.

• Having sorted out the logo it is now appropriate to move into discussions with a website designer. There are two possibilities here: either the web designer can build a graphical theme based on the logo design, or the web designer can integrate a theme developed by the graphic designer. Individual circumstances will dictate which is the best approach.
• Upon completion of the website it is normal to launch the new online business with some sort of marketing campaign.  Often there is an offline component to this campaign such distributing fliers or 3-fold brochures to existing customers or prospects. Once again this will require the services of your graphic designer.  And because they will have already set the key design elements in place at the logo development stage (including fonts and colours) the resultant brochures will be designed to support the brand.