eCurtain

The REPORT section of an eCurtain Media Report and Recommendation (R&R) document evaluates your current website.

The site's strengths are noted. However, the REPORT section usually focuses on the site's weaknesses.

The RECOMMENDATIONS section provides practical suggestions as to how the site can be improved as quickly as possible.

To complete the R&R document in the most effective manner, eCurtain Media spends some time talking with you at your convenience. That way, we make sure we are perfectly clear regarding your website's goals.

eCurtain Media helps you clarify what you want the site to accomplish, what role it plays in your business, and what audience you're addressing.

We also discuss what features and/or modifications you might consider making to your current website.

MORE SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITE PROFIT
Examples:

Home Page

>  How effective is your HOME page at conveying your core message(s) quickly?
>  Are key questions such as "WHO? WHAT? WHERE?WHY? HOW?" clear to visitors?
>  Does your HOME page have at least one element that would cause a visitor to linger?
>  Does your HOME page draw the visitor into key areas of the site?

Site Navigation

>  How easy is it for visitors to move through the pages and areas of your site?
>  Do visitors always know where they are?
>  Is your site well organized?
>  Do your options have excellent names (or icons)?

In other words, will visitors understand where they’re going or what will happen when they choose an option?

Text

>  Does your text reflect the best practices of small business website copy?
>  Does it brand you?
>  Does it market you by telling visitors about what you can do for them?

General Graphic Design

>  Is your overall design attractive and appropriate for your business?
>  Is the design scheme consistent throughout the site?
>  Are any elements inappropriate for your target audience?

Search Engine Optimization

>  Is your site currently following the basic rules that will improve your SEO ranking?
>  Is the text visible on your pages optimized with keywords relevant to a search by clients
 attempting to find your type of services?
>  What further steps can you take immediately to improve your current search engine ranking?
 There's some interesting information about this.

Basic Quality Control

>  Do unexpected actions occur when visitors choose an option on your site?
>  Is your text free of typos?
>  Is your site frustrating visitors in ways you might not expect?

All of the questions above are examples. If you can think of specific issues that you'd like eCurtain to consider, please let us know.

RECOMMENDATION FOR MORE SMALL BUSINESS WEBSITE PROFIT

The second part of an eCurtain Media R&R document is RECOMMENDATIONS. These are improvements that can be quickly made so your business website can be more effective.

Recommendations are tailored to your goals and your type of business.

To give you an idea, here's a general list of some recommendations some eCurtain Media clients have implemented in the past:

1) Include something "sticky" on the website. Something that brings visitors back to the site multiple times.

2) Increase the recognition factor of the business through basic networking techniques.

3) Provide appropriate ways for visitors to view professional events where they can meet
the business owner in person. This is not only a plausible way to meet potential clients,
but it can also automatically keep the site "fresh" for search engine "spiders."

4) Include credible testimonials from former clients.

5) Include video. Many site visitors love video.
      However, make sure your target audience has the bandwidth to do it well.

6) Spice up your site with some appropriate Flash or multimedia programming