Finally Launching My New Website…

The Trials and Tribulations of Building a Website

I would love to say that my new website is finally finished, but websites are never finished.  They are a living and breathing part of your business that is constantly evolving and changing. What I can say is that the major redesign of my new website is finally complete. What I am saying is the structure of the site has changed dramatically. What I want to share is my journey that is filled with errors, poor judgment, but is guided by a clear vision and the result that I wanted. Let me explain the clear vision first.

I wanted to have the RickSegel.com website to be easy to understand, use and serve as an example of what good web design should be. The other thing that all of us want in a website is that it must be an investment and not just an expense. There are too many websites that are built which are beautiful but worthless. A website should generate business but it cannot be any type of hard sell. It is important to understand I have reviewed over 500 different websites in seminars, workshops, webinars, magazine and newspaper articles along with my book, The Essential Online Solution. That makes me a picky customer.  Generally, I am an easy sell, but as they say, knowledge can be a dangerous thing. The other factor to consider is that not only have I reviewed that many websites, but I have also reviewed the work of hundreds of web designers.

The one constant complaint that I got about my previous website was that it was difficult to navigate. The sad part about it was even I couldn’t find things that were there, so how could I expect my visitors to find what they were looking for? The internet, ecommerce, and web designs are changing at hyper speeds, which means your website has to be and look fresh all of the time. The other goal that many of us forget is that the web is about convenience in finding things fast. That is why things such as pictures flying in and out, music blasting, and the use of FLASH is truly not necessary. One of the other things I learned from reviewing so many sites is that the prettiest sites don’t always receive the highest ratings. It is the ones I refer to as utilitarian that often receive this distinction. Another way of saying it is that function beats out form. So don’t expect to go to my website to find whiz-bang graphics.

Now let me share some of the mistakes I made along the way. I believe the biggest mistake has been in my selection of vendors or consulting firms who supposedly have all of the answers. My new site represents the efforts of four different web development companies. One quit, two were fired, and one firm I love. The web designer who quit was a one-man shop who simply burnt himself out by promising too much and carried guilt when he couldn’t deliver it. That was my first lesson for the size of the website that I have: a one-person shop is way too small if you want multiple projects taking place at the same time, which is really what the web is all about. The first company I had to fire just talked in technical terms and I had no idea what she was talking about. When I would ask for an explanation, I was made to feel stupid. I am the customer. She forgot that and I forgot her. The good thing about the relationship was that I realized it early and made a move.  

The next firm I hired had such great promise. I loved the people she employed and loved her website plus the websites she had created in the past. I should have known there was a problem when shortly after I joined the firm, she changed her website and the new sites she was designing were terrible. Remember I had a clear vision of what my website was to look like and do for me.  The principal of the firm would argue with me on every change I wanted to make. We would meet on a weekly basis and argue about the stupidest things, and I ended up wasting months and money until one of my colleagues observed that we were literally just spinning our wheels and going nowhere. The lessons to learn from this relationship were firstly, make sure your philosophies are in sync with each other. Second, never trust a company that is telling you how to do business when the health of their business is suspect. Lastly, don’t ask them to use a process or a piece of software with which they have no experience.  

I am a huge believer in the HubSpot Software Solution to “Inbound Marketing”. The company that I had hired did not know or understand the true benefits of this approach to marketing.  In short, I was paying someone to learn and that was dumb! To my credit, I was smart enough to finally go to HubSpot and ask them for referrals of consulting firms which utilized their product and processes. That was smart! I then reviewed 15 different vendors and interviewed 8. That was also smart because each one gave me more knowledge and a better understanding of what was needed.  

Let me share the reasons why I like my website as much as I do and maybe there are some lessons for you to learn as well. I do invite your comments and criticisms, and I will explain and defend any of my actions and why we did what we did. I am not saying defend in a negative way but rather an explanation of why it was done that way.

1. It is easy to navigate. Anyone can figure out where they are and how to get there.
2. It is focused on the benefit of the viewer.  
3. It is built for growth. As many pages as it has, it is relatively easy to add to it.  
4. There are reasons to return to the site.  
5. The calls to action and opportunities for perspective clients to contact me are many.  
6. My use of testimonials helps to build my credibility. It reinforces Rick Segel as an authority and a thought leader.
7. It positions me as the expert in my field. This is important for all of us, not just for a writer and a speaker. Every retailer has to be positioned as the expert in their area.
8. It is an integral part of all of my marketing efforts and it has a lead nurturing system built in for prospective clients.  
9. It allows me the flexibility to include many of my other business ventures under one umbrella, such as texting4retailers, mystery shopping4retailers, and even websites4retailers.
10. There is a sense of organization that is not only appreciated by the viewer, but also appreciated by the people who work on the site. Simple is good.

I wanted to make the process I went through an example and something we all call learn from so that maybe your process will be a little bit easier than mine. I will share the name of the company that I am using: Lynton Web Solutions out of Houston, TX. Rick Segel and Associates are pleased to announce a partnership with Lynton Web Solutions which will create websites for retailers and help them with new and innovative marketing strategies.

I hope this makes a difference in your online struggles.

Have a great week and check out my website at www.ricksegel.com. I would love your feedback.

Seven Ways to Get Your Retail Website to Pop

Websites today can become exciting with simple techniques.  Having said that, we are focusing on the look of the site, the graphics as opposed to  the backend technical navigation and “mumbo jumbo” which is still the backbone to every website. It still amazes us that relatively basic looking sites can do exceptionally well because technically they work. The bottom line is we need the fun and exciting stuff along with the basics. 

1. Think USA Today: The reason for the success of USA Today is because it has lots of headlines, short stories with short paragraphs and graphics that support the story. This sounds simple enough to do and yet as you surf he web, you will see site after site with long paragraphs that no one will ever read.  
2. Think Headlines: Although we just mentioned the use of headlines when we refer to USA Today, spend some time writing a captivating headline that people want to learn more about.  
3. It’s About the Reader Not You: So many times when people write their websites, it is I, I, I or it is just focused on your company or yourself. Think in terms of benefits to the reader. Think in terms of the website that says “we have been in business a hundred years”. The owner of the business is very proud of that and uses the argument that because we have been in business, we must be good. The reader reads that and says “what does all that mean to me”.
4. Make it Personal: Always have an about us section and share pictures and your personal philosophy. On an award winning website, the owner of the company is pictured sitting on a stool, holding a beagle and beside that is a short message to the reader that has a script signature to make it appear as if it is a personalized signature. Within the body of the owner’s message, there is a click through to send her an email.  
5. The Use of Fonts: Generally speaking, homemade websites or less professional looking websites have a tendency of using overused fonts such as Arial or Times Roman. Select the font that you like which has the same feel and look of your company and stick with it. One of the biggest errors people make is they go font crazy and they begin to put three of four different fonts on the same page. You can use the same font but use the italicized version of it and/or all capitals.  
6. Color Contrast: So many times we will see sites that use colors that are beautiful but unfortunately not readable. I recently reviewed a site that was in gray with a darker gray lettering. I couldn’t read the site.  Mauve and gray are great for a living room, but not for a home page. Businesses that use all black backgrounds must be careful with the use of the color red. Red is a great accent color on a black and white site, but don’t use a red font consistently.  
7. The Convenience Factor: Websites are about convenience.  They allow us to save time and money by truly letting our fingers do the shopping. We block the convenience factor when we have Flash openings with words or images flying in from every direction and music blaring in the background. All of these sites have a button that says “skip intro”. 93% of the people who go to these sites, hit “skip intro”. That stuff is not necessary or as I like to put it, it is the graphic designer having an orgasm.  
8. The Bonus: I said the 7 steps, but I am giving more than expected. Make sure on your website you give more than the viewer expects. In New Orleans, they just call it “lagniappe”. What it means is a small gift to the customer by a merchant, such as the thirteenth donut. My extra point is this - use small graphic calls to action to interest your reader to stay on this site longer. After all, isn’t that what I did to have you read this?

Here Is a Simple Idea That Works

I just got an interesting job that I think could become a great business tool for you. This is so good a business model that I might even want to pursue it even further and use it for more than this one client.  But the best part is that anyone can do it and reap the rewards from this model.

I will be working for a distributor that has two major trade shows a year. All of the vendors he represents attend these buying shows. They offer 2 educational programs before the show begins and I will be doing one presentation for their sales reps and another one for their retailers.  

In addition to the presentations, the distributor asked me to do a rather interesting assignment that could become a major trend. What I will be doing is going from trade show booth to trade show booth, with a video camera and a microphone and asking the vendors sales/managers or sales reps a few simple but powerful questions:

1. What is HOT from your company?
2. Why is it HOT?
3. Why should the consumer buy it?
4. What’s new?
5. What are the advantages of doing business with your company?

When I edit the responses I will break the videos down to a 3 to 5 minute maximum.  They will be converted into YouTube and placed in a private section of YouTube.  Then the distributor will offer this library of videos for the retailers to use on their websites. FREE Content.  And the distributor will charge the vendor an advertising fee.  

What makes this important for you to do?  

One of the reasons that online sales have been strong is because of the amount of educational data, product reviews, customer feedback, and owner’s polls. When you think about it, an online merchant is able to beat the retailer at their own strength which has traditionally been customer service, expertise, and dependability of the specialty retailer to know and stand behind the product.

Things have changed and the difference is in the area of expertise and sharing that expertise. Having a website filled with instructional and informative short video makes your website one that people will return to again and again. Even if someone doesn’t buy from you, people will be talking about you and in time that will pay big dividends.

SO WHAT IS THE ACTION STEP?

First, ask every vendor you do business with if they have created short instructional, fun, or informational videos that you can use on your website. If not, start to bring a camera to trade shows, any point and shoot camera works since they all take movies today. Then, ask the questions I listed earlier. OR When a sales rep is in your store, take a video.  OR you can use SKYPE (it’s free or has a tiny charge) to capture a video recording right through your computer.

I have found someone to edit my videos. Trust me, there are plenty of people who do that work as a part time job. Then just have them up load it to YouTube (it’s really pretty simple- I even did 2 of them a month ago myself). Once they are on YouTube, you can easily add them to your website and Facebook site.  You can even use these videos in your store if you have a flat screen monitor.  You can use some of the smaller screens that are not very expensive.  

This is really a winner and it just enhances the shopping experience within your store. It also makes your website far more interesting and encourages your visitors to return again and again. 

A Lesson From The Dentist… There Is A Lot to Learn Here

The other day I had an appointment with my dentist because I broke a tooth and needed to have a new veneer made.  Because of the moves I have made in the last few years, I have only been with this dentist for two years. However, of the four different dentists I have used over the last 35 years, my current dentist and his company is the best, most professional dental firm I have ever encountered. There are actually 3 or 4 dentists, at least 6 hygienists, and lots of assistants who are just buzzing around all day.

There are 3 wows about this practice:

1. Appointment times are always honored and I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes from arriving.
2. Your first appointment has a 30-minute sit down face-to-face meeting so that the dentist can better understand the whole patient. It’s a nice touch but isn’t that what wows are?
3. My dentist is a nice, very personable, wonderful man, a great employer, and also a brilliant man without being obnoxious about his intelligence.

So what could a gift shop or a garden center learn from my dentist? LOTS.  

See if this sounds familiar:

I will refer to my Dentist for the purpose of this article as Dr. T. We were discussing the phenomena of the effect that Extreme Makeover TV Show had on the dental industry. On the show they used a method that was called the Davinci Process for capping or putting veneers on teeth to create beautiful white teeth. Dental labs and dentists across the country were getting lots of inquiries for this process. It got so big that the process developed by a dental Lab in LA actually developed a license/franchise agreement with the labs and dentists around the world. (Great PR works…That’s the first lesson to learn.)    

It is a very good process but most dentists and labs can do similar things.  That’s what started a most interesting discussion.  Dr T then made the statement, “Doesn’t it kill you when a patient (a customer in our world) tells you that they went someplace else to have work done and it’s work you do?” In his case, this meant someone going to another dentist for cosmetic dentistry.  He said that’s what he does and besides he hated the term cosmetic dentistry.  

My response was, “What do you expect? How are your patients supposed to know what you do?” He didn’t have a sign, a testimonial, a before and after picture other than one created by dentists for dentists. He didn’t even have a simple brochure describing his services. He responded that he never advertised and everything was done via word of mouth advertising.  Now understand, this is a very bright man but something doesn’t seem right.  He is dependent on his patients to tell his story about an extreme makeover of someone’s smile. If he is busy now, I wonder how busy he could be with the proper marketing?

So then I asked the biggie. “How does your website handle your services?”  His response was “not great because I even have a problem navigating the site.” Now that’s a bad sign-- if you can’t navigate it, how is your reader going to do it? And speaking of signs, I suggested that he should have signs on the ceiling right above the chair. Is there a more captive audience than a patient lying down in a dentist’s chair with nothing else to do but read a sign?

I explained that today we can’t just depend on word of mouth advertising like we used to because the natural way people look for new services or goods is NOT by asking a friend. It is by “Googling it”. Plus customers today are bolder about negotiating or at least not afraid to ask the price and shop dental services more than ever before. So I said when he finished my tooth repair, I would take a look at his website.  

His website was absolutely beautiful. The graphics were first class. BUT that always scares me because if they look pretty, somehow they aren’t always functional. Plus they just never seem to score high on web results testing.  

Dr T showed me the services section and I saw before and after shots. However, there was no testimonial or endorsement or any type of emotional connection. It was all insider shop talk void of the people and personalities.

There were no videos on the site at all. There weren’t any video endorsements or dental tips by the dentists. Even a video on what to expect if you have Cosmetic Dentistry. I then ran the website through websitegrader.com. His website’s score was 24 out of a 100.  That was terrible. This site cost him thousands of dollars to create. It was written on a graduate school level but that’s not who his clients are. The before and after shots lacked any type of touchy feely feeling and certainly sounded like insider talk about the various procedures. The site was just too stuffy and didn’t serve the needs of his community.  

I then graded the website developer that was charging these dentists huge fees. Their score was 84%. Although this is good, people who do this for a living should have scores of 95% or better.  

My last comment was that the site was all about the dental practice. NOT HIS PATIENTS or the benefit he brought to his patients. He didn’t offer anything to his patients, no newsletter, no blog, no ask the dentist section, no videos to make the flow of information easier, no CALL TO ACTION BOXES TO MAKE IT EASIER TO DOWNLOAD ANY SPECIAL REPORTS, tips or anything else.  

The goal TODAY: TRY TO POSITION OURSELVES AS THE EXPERT. Dr. T already has that level of professionalism but he is throwing it all away by not reinforcing it. People pay extra for expertise which also means he should create his own brand for his process for capping teeth. Call it the Michelangelo Method or better yet, he could use his own name in the process.  

The bottom-line is that it is about the customer. Not us. How can we serve them better? How can we communicate what we do and how it benefits the customer? What can we do for them and how are we teaching them today? Now act on what you have learned. I know Dr. T is going to.

This is an alternative ending:

Last point and this is the tough one. As you can plainly tell from my tone I really like Dr T. I would recommend him in a second. I am as loyal a customer/patient as you can get. BUT 5 weeks ago my wife needed a crown and we were still in Florida.  She went to a dentist that we had no long-term relationship with. He told her she needed a new crown and the price would be X. She then called Dr. T office to have it down there. After making the appointment she asked how much would it cost? She was shocked when she received the estimate which was $500 less. Guess where she had the work done!

We still have to price competitively.