By Alissa Arford-Leyl
Shop Site of the Month
Crosstown Auto Repair - Edgewood, Md.
www.crosstownauto.com
"I feel that updating a Web site regularly will keep it interesting and useful to the consumer. It was a larger undertaking than I was prepared for but I am very happy with the results." - Doug Howard, Owner, Crosstown Auto Repair
Web Wise
Managing Your Web Site
A Web site has two main components, its format and its content. To manage a Web site effectively, you need to understand how the two relate and interact. The format includes navigation, graphics, design elements and the overall impression that the site makes on the visitor. The content is the information that is included: words, forms, audio and video.
On the Web, content and format are of equal importance. A very informative site may have hundreds of pages of information, but if visitors can't easily find what they're looking for, it's not a very well-designed site. Likewise, great graphics and animation may look nice, but if the site only has a few pages of information visitors probably won't add it to their list of bookmarks.
When planning or redesigning your site look at it from the customer's perspective. When they come to your site what do they want to find? A shop for regular maintenance or a major unexpected repair? What services do they expect? Towing, warranties, free shuttle service, or maybe a list of nearby places they can walk to while they're waiting? After all of the information is gathered, be sure to keep all sections consistent. If possible, have one person write all of the copy and then turn it over to a Web developer.
A normal problem at some Web sites is that a different Web developer is used each time a new feature is added to the site. Web users like to see a consistent design throughout the site. Another common Web site management problem is not budgeting for maintenance and regular additions to the site. If you have a staff section be prepared to add profiles for new employees and update qualifications and certifications. Also, consider rotating coupons each month, establishing an e-mail list and adding in a shop news section.
Managing your Web site may not be a full-time job, but to make your site successful you will need at least one person who can dedicate a few hours each week to answer e-mail, make updates, check the search engines and request links.
Net Numbers
Total Y2K spending in the United States from 1995-2001 will be $121.96 billion.
Source: International Data Corp. ( http://www.idcresearch.com)
ASA Web Ways
NACE Online
Are you attending NACE '99 this year in Atlanta? The NACE Web Site (http://www.NACE-99.com) has all of the information you will need to have a successful trip to the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE), the "World's Largest Collision Repair Event!" Online housing registration is currently available, and online attendee registration will be available in August. New features on the site this year include a searchable list of exhibitors, exhibition and conference planners, a list of Atlanta Web sites and a great new design. NACE '99 will be held Dec. 2-5, 1999, at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga.
Note: Web sites listed in Net Worth do not serve as endorsements of the sites themselves or of any companies or products associated with these sites. In addition, ASA does not verify the factual accuracy and does not necessarily share the opinions expressed by those within these other sites.
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