Well, 2004 has reached the finish line. If you're like most of us, this seems hardly possible. The year has simply disappeared, and now here we are, having lived through its last few days. For some, the end of yet another year provides a welcome break from work responsibilities, not to mention an end to 'not-to-be-missed' seasonal festivities.

However, during this down time, it's a good idea to take a look back at the year that has passed into history as 2004. What has happened to you over the last twelve months? What were the significant events in your life, personally or professionally? How did you learn from them?

Here are a few questions to spark your thought process:

What were my top three major milestones for 2004?
What do I feel especially good about?
What was my biggest contribution?
What did I do right?
What did I learn, in terms of skills, knowledge or insights?
What fun things happened in my life this past year?
And of course, what were the not so fun things?
Finally, you cannot forget the all-important; What am I most grateful for as 2004 draws to a close?

Questions and Answers

Most websites that have multiple pages usually have a 'Frequently Asked Questions' or 'FAQ' page. There are several good reasons why you should include one on your website.

Your FAQ section largely eliminates any confusion your prospect might have about buying your product. A confused mind almost always says no, so the better you can explain to your customer why they should buy from you, the greater your chances of success. Your FAQ also allows a prospect to grab key information quickly. It immediately creates a positive impression, because you're acknowledging that their time is precious and they want answers quickly. Your FAQ saves you time too. The more answers you provide on your website, the less customer emails you'll have to respond to that all ask the same questions repeatedly.

Before you create your FAQ, make sure you do some research. Consider your favourite websites and the type of questions you might ask about the products or services described there. Then visit those same websites and review their FAQ pages. Were the questions separated into logical categories or were they put in random order? Were you able to find answers to your questions quickly? Or did you have to navigate through pages and pages to find what you were looking for?

It's also a great idea to ask friends or customers to give you feedback on your own products or service. What questions did they have when they visited your website? Once you have collected a selection of comments, assemble the questions and categorize them all. For example, questions about how quickly you respond to questions should be listed under your "Help or Support" category, and so on.

Your FAQ must also always be kept updated to ensure that the answers are still relevant. A monthly review is recommended so consider installing Globi's Self-Updateable Content Management System (CMS) on that particular page. Your questions and answers should remain concise, no longer than a paragraph. If a particular question requires a more detailed answer, ensure you have a link to a separate page. You should also include convenient links so that a potential customer can always contact you if they still have questions.

As a final note, don't put your FAQ in a file that a prospect has to download to read. Most of your visitors won't bother to take this extra step and will abandon your site, probably forever.

Just in case you thought Globi didn't have enough 'Jasons' on the team, this month we feature Jason Forbes.

As Globi's Senior Web Developer, Jason brings his creative ability and technical skills to the forefront of his work. He is continually striving for excellence, has a keen eye for detail and a logical perspective to bringing client goals to fruition. Jason is truly a Technical Architect commanding the utmost respect and admiration from his colleagues and, more importantly, his clients.

Keep it Simple

An easy and friendly navigation system is perhaps the most important quality a website can have. Sites that try to employ an 'artistic' concept and use unfamiliar icons, such as those that don't clearly imply their purpose, don't usually retain visitors.

To the designer who created the site, it might make perfect sense to click on the picture of a postman's cap to send e-mail. Yet to the average visitor, it won't. Most people need to be told quite explicitly what to do in order to elicit an action.

A good policy is to do what the corporate giants do, but scaled-down. Many sites created for large corporations have a similar look and feel, and these sites are the ones that are helping to make the general public more comfortable using the web. Consequently, if they all use a simple word 'Home' to represent the Homepage, then you should too.

Integrity is Integral

Even the most sophisticated and professionally designed site won't help if your customers don't believe in you. The Internet is a very impersonal place and as a result doesn't engender a great deal of trust. For your website to be successful, you need to overcome the impression that most online businesses are to be treated with caution.

There are several ways you can achieve this. A clear Privacy Statement immediately establishes your credibility and, by legislation, every commercial website should have a Privacy Statement posted online. It's also advisable to provide a clear link to this statement from every page or section of your site where you are requesting personal information.

The contact details you provide on line also have to be legitimate. Include email addresses, phone and fax numbers and mailing addresses. Think about it. If you're not willing to reveal these details to your clients, why should they trust you and consequently buy from you?

You can also offer your customers a no exception, clear-cut, money back guarantee. This will obviously depend on the type of products and services that you offer, since a guarantee may not be appropriate to all kinds of businesses. However, what better way is there to win your customers confidence than by eliminating their risk? If the customer sees that you are willing to assume all the risk yourself, they may be more inclined to trust you.

Colour is the key

Colour in any form of promotional materials is always very important. Think of the full colour ads you've seen in glossy magazines or those in black and white newspapers. The headline, price or some incredible bargain is often highlighted in red ink to grab your attention.

The traditional media has been well aware of the impact of colour for over a century, so naturally this should also be the case with the Internet, right? Well, while colour is an important visual tool, it's important to remember that not all browsers see all colours, and not all people have twenty/twenty vision. As a result, different considerations come into play on the web, where a site's colour scheme needs to be extremely contrasting.

A positive colour scheme is dark writing on a light background, such as the pages in a book. A negative scheme entails light writing on a dark background. These days, most business sites need to have a positive scheme. Research studies indicate black text on a light background has consistently been proven to be the easiest to read. As tempting as it may be to create an unusual site, such as one with white writing on a black background, consider the people who may be visiting and what they will find the most comfortable to read.

"My experience with Globi has been positive in all realms of the development cycle. I am very confident in Globi's skillsets and ability to delivery quality results. At the end of the day, everything works and my involvement was nominal. They listened to my business requirements, scoped out my web development project, laid out a detailed plan and proceeded with streamlined efficiency on the project. Their technical skills and depth of experience were key factors in the success of the project. Items that proved to be obstacles to other web development companies were not even a concern with Globi. They delivered what I wanted, and more, and did it all within the precise budget that was estimated. In today's world of software development, making such claims to keep a development project on budget and in scope is rare. I have complete confidence in the people at Globi and have always been able to count on they. They do what they say they are going to do. That's peace of mind!

My faith in web development has been restored since working with Globi. It has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I look forward to continued partnership with them in helping me grow my web business. I highly recommend Globi for you web development solutions"

Steve Gasparovic
SAPdomain.com

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Globi Web Solutions
1023 - 12th Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta, T2R 0J5
Phone: (403) 229-3800
E-mail: admin@globi.ca
Web Site: http://www.globi.ca

Copyright © 2010 Globi Web Solutions. All Rights Reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part without the inclusion of Globi Web Solutions' Reprint Permission below.

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Although this material is subject to copyright, please feel free to reprint this publication, in whole or in part, in your company publication, in training, presentations, or wherever you feel this would be of benefit. This also holds true for members of the media. All we ask (actually, we insist) is that you use the following credit line:

Reprinted with permission from Globi Web Solutions, a leading Website Design and Development Company based in Calgary. For further resources and information, go to globi.ca. Copyright © 2010 Globi Web Solutions.