http://websitestandards.org/ websitestandards.org Blog en 14/02/2007 12:00:00 AM http://websitestandards.org/blog/the-social-media-revolution http://websitestandards.org/blog/the-social-media-revolution Think social media like Facebook and Twitter are just a fad?  Think again. Widespread use by consumers and businesses has led industry experts to claim that "social media is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate" and much more than just the current 'in thing'. Watch this amazing video for some statistics that will definitely change the way you think about social media and inspire you to get creative about how you can use it in your business. > Watch the Social Media Revolution video now Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/how-to-make-and-save-money-in-your-business-with-the-internet http://websitestandards.org/blog/how-to-make-and-save-money-in-your-business-with-the-internet The economic downturn is all over the headlines and it’s making business owners everywhere nervous.  But you can join the businesses that are still doing well by remaining positive and applying clever strategies to generate revenue as well as save money in your businesses. Cutting back on essentials is not the answer.  The secret is making your business smarter by looking at strategies that don’t cost a lot, but can generate good revenue for your business.  Many businesses are now using the popularity of the internet and the array of strategies it offers to... Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/say-no-to-internet-filtering- http://websitestandards.org/blog/say-no-to-internet-filtering- In a world controlled by laws, governments and powerful corporations, the internet is the last completely free media left.  It's not owned by anyone, so it's one of the few ways for us to exercise our right to free speech. However, the Australian Government is about to change the internet landscape forever... They are about to introduce a mandatory filtering system to block 'unwanted content', which means certain websites will be blocked at an Internet Service Provider level and won't be accessible for any Australians.  While the Government's intentions are honourable... Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/usability-matters---just-ask-target http://websitestandards.org/blog/usability-matters---just-ask-target Millions of people use the internet on a daily basis and a large percentage of them have disabilities that affect the way they view and use websites.  So if your website doesn't cater for these consumers, you are missing out on their money.  And they spend alot - billions each year in fact. Many websites and website developers have usability standards in place to ensure that the software that disabled people use to browse the internet can work effectivey with their site.  Websites that meet W3C standards (like those of all our members) can be used by disabled people, which... Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/spam-compliance---what-you-need-to-know http://websitestandards.org/blog/spam-compliance---what-you-need-to-know Australia enacted the Spam Act 2003 in 2004 to combat the growing volume of unsolicited messages. It is illegal  under the Spam Act to send certain unsolicited emails and severe penalties may apply for those that do. What is spam? As you are probably well aware, the term “spam” refers to electronic “junk mail”. You are prohibited under the Spam Act to send an electronic message to a recipient containing an invitation to do business without the consent of the message recipient. What constitutes consent? Consent can be obtained either expressly or by... Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/e-commerce---risky-business- http://websitestandards.org/blog/e-commerce---risky-business- Businesses are shifting toward the Internet as a place to do business. Notably, many businesses now have an online presence via a website.Recently, there has been a marked increase in disputes and litigation arising from website content. This trend may be attributed to the tendency of business owners to overlook the legalities of the electronic environment. Many business owners have been caught out when they thought that they were safe.You may be breaching the law and placing your business at risk if your website: displays text or images which you or an employee did not produce; ... Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/handy-online-resources http://websitestandards.org/blog/handy-online-resources If you are truly committed to maximising your Internet presence and getting results for your business, you should always be educating yourself.  Here are some great sources of useful information on a variety of topics: W3C - http://www.w3.org/ This site is a bit technical, but you should be aware of the organisation and the ways it is improving the Internet.  Also visit http://validator.w3.org/ to check if your website is W3C validated - it should be! MarketingSherpa - http://www.marketingsherpa.com/ A great website with expert advice and research about Internet... Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/is-your-website-losing-you-money-- http://websitestandards.org/blog/is-your-website-losing-you-money-- As we head towards yet another new year, you will probably be setting out your new business goals and plans for 2008. You will review many areas of your business, but what about your website? Like most business people, you probably don’t think about your website because you assume it’s doing its job, but chances are it isn’t up to scratch. These days, websites are far more than an online brochure where your prospective customers can find basic information about your business. If your website isn’t creating real value for your business, it needs a serious overhaul to... Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/4-things-to-expect-from-your-website-developer http://websitestandards.org/blog/4-things-to-expect-from-your-website-developer The website developer you have chosen to build an online presence for your business should be a reliable Internet expert that can do the following: Understand your business needsFor your website developer to be able to build your business a website that generates measurable results and achieves your goals, they need to first understand what it is your business wants to do online.  If they don't understand your business and your needs, chances are they won't build the type of website you want.  For example, if your goal is to create online sales, your site needs to... Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/drawing-your-prospects-back-to-your-site http://websitestandards.org/blog/drawing-your-prospects-back-to-your-site Here is the third important step in making your website work hard for your business - keeping in regular contact to draw them back to your site. As mentioned, your prospects might not take the desired action on your site immediately, but if you have collected their details for your database, you can engage in regular communication with them. This will help to keep your brand top of mind and encourage them to come back to you or your site again. Also, regular communication will help you to build a relationship and rapport with them, which may make them more likely to take action. A... Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/getting-visitors-to-take-an-action-on-your-site http://websitestandards.org/blog/getting-visitors-to-take-an-action-on-your-site Now you're ready to move on to the second step of maximising your web presence - getting visitors to take an action on your site. No matter what type of business or website you have, you need to encourage your prospects to take some kind of action when they are on your site. For most businesses, the most desired action from prospects is a purchase, whether offline or online. If this is the purpose of your website, you need to facilitate this process by making it easy for your target market to get what they want and getting them closer to the desired action.  You can do this by... Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/are-you-maximising-your-web-presence- http://websitestandards.org/blog/are-you-maximising-your-web-presence- The majority of businesses today use the Internet as a tool to generate leads and sales for their business. But most of them aren't getting the great results that are possible with the Internet, because they are not facilitating the three key processes of a website - Attracting traffic Getting visitors to take an action Engaging in regular communication with contacts to draw them back to your site You may think you have a great website, but is it reaching its full potential? Are you taking full advantage of your presence on the Web? In today's competitive... Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/getting-your-business-online http://websitestandards.org/blog/getting-your-business-online In today's Internet age, having an online presence is essential for most businesses.  A website can be a valuable business tool for conducting sales, contacting current and potential customers, promoting products and services and building brand loyalty.  But getting your business online isn't a simple process - there are a lot of important considerations when setting up a website. This guide will explain these considerations and outline the seven stages of building a website for your business. Step 1- Form a strategic plan Before you jump in and start organising your website,... Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/climbing-the-ranks http://websitestandards.org/blog/climbing-the-ranks It is common knowledge that Google has grounded itself as the world's leading search engine, with up to 70% of all searches conducted through Google.  This phenomenon has business owners pondering "How can I get my business to the top of Google's ranking and start benefiting from the meteoric rise of the internet?" According to James Greig from Website Standards Association, there are 3 main areas that Google looks at when making a decision about where your website appears within their listings: Links Google's algorithm relies on the millions of links from one website to another to... Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/the-top-8-strategies-to-choosing-the-perfect-domain-name-for-your-business--- http://websitestandards.org/blog/the-top-8-strategies-to-choosing-the-perfect-domain-name-for-your-business--- With the meteoric rise of Internet use in the past 5 years, the importance of a "good" domain name has also increased. Domain names such as www.websitestandards.com, for example, have become an essential component in the marketing arsenal of every business, and as such deserve more than just a passing consideration. Think about how long you pondered over the perfect business name - your business' domain name is just as important (if not more so). And while, your company name may be the obvious choice - it pays to consider other available options, especially as so many prospects and... Mon, 02 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/11-ways-to-increase-the-readership-of-your-enewsletter--- http://websitestandards.org/blog/11-ways-to-increase-the-readership-of-your-enewsletter--- eNewsletters are a great way for businesses to make contact with their clients online, to keep them informed about new products or services and most importantly, keep them coming back to your website to actually generate revenue.  But when clients can potentially receive a lot of emails each day, it's not easy to actually keep clients interested.  So how can businesses make sure their eNewsletter is actually read, and not simply moved from clients' inboxes to their trash?  Here are some tips to increase your eNewsletter readership. Spend five minutes online and it soon... Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +1000 http://websitestandards.org/blog/the-easy-way-to-get-a-hard-working-website http://websitestandards.org/blog/the-easy-way-to-get-a-hard-working-website As society's love affair with all things 'on-line' continues, the importance of a functional and sales-producing website, to the success of a business, has never been greater. That being said, however, it is also amazing how many so-called 'professional' websites fail to meet even the minimum standards for functionality, let alone produce measurable results. The good news is that it's no longer difficult to make-over, update or create a website that lives up to the title of "On-line Sales Person."  Here are five simple adjustments you can make that will liven up the usefulness of your... Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 +1000