I came across an interesting article at Fast Company.  Dan Heath, the author, advises how to approach your boss when you’re certain your company’s Web site needs replacing!

In my opinion, the ultimate purpose in having a Web site is so your customers can find you.  I don’t know very many people who still go to the yellow pages to find out about a business when a Google search will generally elicit much more information.   This is the key.   The message your Web site is sending can make or break that customer relationship.   There have been times that I have gone to the internet to find a specific business, not found it, and ended up going somewhere else.  So, having a Web site is the first step.  If you think yours isn’t up to the task, then you should put your site through a few usability tests to make sure your customers are finding you and want to do business with you.   

An easy usability test is as simple as finding a handful of people that your business targets, and having them play around on your site for a while before answering a few questions.   These are the specific questions that Dan Heath covers in his article:
•    What does [our company] do?
•    Who do we serve?
•    What makes us different from [the giant in your space]?
•    Talk me through what you picture us doing.

Beyond that, it’s up to you to convince your boss!

The landscape of ecommerce has changed dramatically in the past few years.   The explosion of social media has led to a change in expectations of ecommerce sites by those who visit them.  Since all of this has come about in such a short time, it's hard for many ecommerce site owners to sort through all the  changes and figure out what they should be doing to improve their ecommerce site.  I've compiled a list of five additions to your site that you can implement to bring your ecommerce site into the new world that includes social media. 

1. People like to see the product in action or being used.  Add a short video or flash demonstration of your products or services. 
2. Remove any annoying banners that flash or play sounds.  If you must have sound, make sure you include the option to mute it.
3. People love giving their opinion, adding a simple section for your customers to add a review or comment makes them feel valued.
4. Think about creating a community on your Web site.  Create a rewards program for customers who join and include a newsletter that contains prizes and rewards.
5. Finally, be sure you have a "fan page" on Facebook;  it is now the third most visited site in the U.S.   Also, be sure to provide a way for your customers to become your fan or follow you on twitter directly from your ecommerce site.

In the highly competitive world of Web design, development and data storage, the type of company you are can often times be as important as what your company can offer and at what price. Web businesses, large and small, are competing over the same pool of potential clients, offering expertise and service at different prices, and selling their company as the best possible solution.

So how do you differentiate yourself from the pack? How can you stand out? What can make the difference between a satisfied customer and a dissatisfied one? Simply put: Communication, Communication, Communication.

Communication is what the World Wide Web is all about. There are news sites communicating stories; blogs communicating opinions; businesses communicating their products and services. Everyone and everything is trying to tell/sell us a story. We, as Web companies, are in the business of helping our clients communicate to their customers amidst all this chaos, and to do it with an expertise that provides a positive return on investment for everyone involved. But before we work out site maps, design schemes and run through the gambit of data analytics and business intelligence, we must first develop a well-founded relationship with our clients by communicating our mutual goals and expectations. Without this, a business partnership can fall apart overnight, leaving both sides scrambling to salvage their needs independent of one another.

Sitting down with a new client to talk about an upcoming project can be a very exciting experience. As a Web developer, my creative juices are flowing; my attention is at an all time high; I’m eager to show the client that I can do any job they put before our company.

But hold on there. Slow down a minute. Stop. Think.

There isn’t anything wrong with wanting to fulfill and satisfy your client’s requests, but realize that there has to be a plan in place before you move forward, a plan that begins with setting and communicating expectations with your client. I don’t think I’ve ever sat down in a meeting with a client, talked about their needs, and walked away with the same understanding of what is expected as before I walked in the door. Often times, clients aren’t quite sure of what they need until they start talking through it. Things change. Functionality that wasn’t considered before is needed. The scope of the entire project changes.

My fault in past meetings has been to pull the “bobble-head” maneuver. Any new requests or expanded functionality is met with my head bobbing up and down as if it were a buoy rising and falling in the ocean. I want to say “Absolutely, we can handle that. No problem!” What I have sometimes failed to see is how that new request can change things on our side. Budgets have sometimes already been formed, hours allocated, resources standing by. These new requests have changed the expectations of what the client needs and that, in turn, can stretch our business’s ability to assure a mutual profitability on both ends of the relationship.

The worst thing to do when a situation like this presents itself is to not communicate this concern with the client. We must understand that these are two businesses meeting together and forming a partnership with one another. Creating a positive and profitable experience for your client should go hand in hand with creating a positive and profitable experience for your company too. If a client requests more work than what was expected, don’t be afraid to renegotiate and reform the terms of the partnership. It is reassurance for both parties that everyone is starting on the same page and will move forward together.

And that is just the start of it. Communication allows the client to really feel like they’re part of the process. Deadlines are met. Materials delivered. When there is the inevitable “hiccup” during a project, the relationship that has already been established will allow for flexibility and understanding, rather than flared tempers and hard feelings. And once the project is completed, you’ll have a very satisfied business partner, who has been an important part of the process, and has felt that their needs were heard, met and exceeded. These are the types of clients we all want and are definitely the clients that help expand our business to new areas and higher levels.

What to take away
Communication is the basis for the success of your company. Having this skill will not only help your relationship with your client grow, but will promote a feeling of trust with the client, knowing that your company has its best interest at heart.