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Market Smart: How to Gain Customers and Increase Profits with B2B Marketing

sites you’ve visited that have great designs. What makes them
good, and can you emulate those elements?

Always Build Websites with
Search Engine Optimization in Mind

Websites are no longer just information purveyors. They have
to attract visitors to be useful. That means that when a prospect
does a search for the services or products your company
provides, your website needs to come up in the results.

It’s vital to know the keywords that are relevant for your
company and to design your website—not just the copy, but
the architecture too—so that the site can be easily found.
Use tools like Google AdWords’ keyword tool and Hubspot to
identify the keywords suited to your business.

Design Matters

While functionality is vitally important for an effective website,
a good look matters too. If you haven’t updated your site in a
number of years, it will show—and visitors will assume your
company is not current.

Here are some tips for successful website development:

1. Hire a professional.

Your website is too important to entrust to a web-savvy
niece or nephew or to a bargain-basement web design
firm. Do a bit of research and ask peers at other companies
for recommendations. Look at the “site made by” credits
on websites you admire. You may not have the deepest
pockets, but your company’s online, visual presence is not
something to skimp on.

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© 2012 Lisa Shepherd