Blogging, e-Commerce and Beyond: What it Means to have a Business Web 2.0 Website

Posted by: Rebecca Kotz in Website Design on Dec 06, 2009

Does your business website empower your business with the capabilities, functionality and flexibility that you need? Below are a list of ideas on how you can boost your website to be a real business, sales and marketing tool! Feel free to click on the links to see examples of the ideas presented.

What business processes are on your website?  

• Online Transactions: Can customers purchase online through an online shopping system, donations, tickets / event registration, etc.? Example: www.gems-solutions.com/attend-a-seminar 
• Education: Can employees or customers sign-up to take online classes? You might want to consider adding a Learning Management System for online education! Example: coming soon!
• Email Updates: Can people subscribe to your email updates or newsletters? Example: www.vantageplastics.com 
• Live Chat: Can website visitors talk with you online through your website? Example: coming soon!
• Online Forms: Can customers submit requests, RFQs, documents or information on your website? Example: www.vantageplastics.com/services/thermoforming/request-for-quote

How is your website generating traffic?

• RSS Feed (push your own): Do you have an RSS feed of your news, press releases, blog posts, event calendar, etc? Example: www.compassionatecaremi.com (see the event calendar)
• RSS Feed (pull from another source): Do you publish an RSS feed from another website as a “resource” to your customers? Example: www.cflegal.net/index.php/news 

  XML Site Map: Do you have an XML site map submitted to search engines to empower Google, Yahoo, and other search engines to index and search all of your pages?
• Fresh Content: Do you post updated information or news to your website on a regular basis to keep leads and customers coming back to your website? You should consider using a blog to make that easy! Example: www.gems-solutions.com/egems-blog 
• Educational Resources: Do you post information or links to additional online resources to help your customers? Example: www.cflegal.net/index.php/asset-search-resources 
• Document Download: Do you make your corporate documents available for download? Example: www.ingersolltownship.com/web/index.php/permits

How are you engaging with your website visitors?

• Polls: Do you have interactive online polls? Example: www.compassionatecaremi.com
• Social Bookmarking: Can visitors use a social bookmarking tool to easily share your website on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, LinkedIn, Reddit, Technorati, and more? Example: www.gems-solutions.com 
• Interactive Google Map: If people visit your physical office, do you make it easy to get directions on your website? Example: www.vantageplastics.com/about-us/map-a-directions
• YouTube Videos: Do you display and share your YouTube videos in your website? Example: www.gems-solutions.com/youtube
• Testimonials: Do empower customers with the capability to post testimonials or comments on your website? Example: www.gems-solutions.com/customer-testimonials 
• Event Calendar: Do you post your events on an event calendar? Example: www.oldtownuniversity.com 
• Facebook Page: Do you promote and display your Facebook business page information within your website? Example: www.gems-solutions.com/facebook 
• Photo Gallery: Can customers view products in a photo gallery? Example: www.vantageplastics.com/products/photo-gallery 
• Twitter: Do you display a twitter feed to keep content updated? Example: www.gems-solutions.com/twitter 
• Forms System: Do you allow people to submit info, surveys or questions directly from your website? Example: www.vantageplastics.com/contact-us