The New Media Group

Everyone seems to have a website these days, but what you may not be aware of is that the web design and development industry is still completely unregulated.

What that means to you, the consumer, is that there isn’t a standard set of ethics that website design companies are forced to adhere to. So, you must learn to protect yourself instead of trusting that companies are being governed.

In order to ensure you’re dealing with an ethical web design company, be sure to ask these 10 questions before you commit.

1. Who owns the website I am paying for?

Shockingly, a lot of web design companies will license you the website you’re paying for instead of transferring ownership to you. This means if you ever change providers, you can’t take your site with you.

Ask the company to show you specifically in your contract where the website ownership is stated.

2. Do I receive a backup of all the files necessary for my website to work?

Make sure you get this on cd, as it enables you to take those files to another web design firm if you would like to.

3. Will I receive access to my ftp and hosting control panel?

Just as important as your web design files in terms of changing providers with ease, make sure you get the following:

a) FTP login url, user name, and password

b) Hosting Control panel url, user name, and password

4. Who owns my domain name?

Your domain name is www. yourcompanyname.com, it’s best to register this and manage it yourself at a company like godaddy.com but if not, make sure you are shown the documentation that lists you as the “registrant” and “admin” contact.

5. Are any guarantees my website will rank on search engines?

Often times there will be additional charges for this service that aren’t included in the website design and development price. It’s much better to get a full idea of the costs before you sign up.

6. Is there a long term contract I will be asked to sign?

Make sure you are comfortable with committing to this company for that period of time. Also ask about their contract cancellation policy.

7. Are there monthly or yearly fees? What service will I be receiving for these fees?

Some companies will charge ongoing maintenance fees, which don’t get you anything if you aren’t updating your web design regularly.

8. Who will be responsible for creating/providing my website content?

The content of your site is the text, images, links, videos etc that will be going on your website.

This is the number one reason that website development is delayed or halted. Make sure you have the time to create or provide your own content or hire a web design company that will take care of this for you.

9. What is the project timeline?

Make sure the website design company’s delivery date will work for you. There are some companies that will take months to get back to you on one small detail.

10. Do you have any references?

Just about anyone with a laptop and some coding knowledge can design a website, but are their customers happy with the results?

Make sure to check out online reviews of the company and ask for references from their existing clients.

By asking these 10 questions, you could save yourself hundreds of dollars in redoing your website design and hours of hassle trying to recover what is rightfully yours. If the company is hesitant to answer any of these questions or gives you the runaround, pick up and move on to the next prospective firm. There are so many businesses out there that will be glad to answer these questions for you; dealing with one that won’t is simply a waste of your time and money.

What are QR codes?

QR codes are interactive graphics. They are embedded with data that can be read using QR scan apps available on today’s smart phones.

Once a user scans the QR code with their smart phone, they are automatically directed online.

What are the benefits of QR codes?
1. As with all internet marketing tools, the easier you make it for consumers to get in touch with you, the better the odds they will. QR codes offer consumers an easy & instant way to take action on an offline ad. There are no phone numbers or website addresses to remember.

2. QR codes are also one of the most recent developments in internet marketing. By adopting this technology you can reach a whole new audience of tech savvy consumer.

3. Through the use of Google Analytics, you can track the response and ROI of your offline marketing. Analytics helps measure internet marketing campaigns by reporting on your website traffic sources and the behavior of your website visitors.

What are some strategies for implementing QR codes?

Internet marketing & QR Codes: Specialized landing pages

Say for example you have an ad with a QR code running in the newspaper. By creating a specific landing page for people who act on that ad, you receive two benefits.

A specialized page can more personally address the consumer based on where they’ve come from. Even stating “Thank you for clicking on our ad in the Calgary Herald” enhances the user experience.

In addition, if you make this page hidden from all other users in your website, you can confidently state that all the traffic to this page is as a result of the newspaper ad.
Internet Marketing & QR Codes: From contacts to customers

Not only does it look really cool, but adding a QR code to your business card increases the chances of your contact information becoming added to your prospect’s smart phone.

A way to do this is to have your QR code send the user to an online Vcard, which can be downloaded to automatically add you to their contacts.

Not only have you made a lasting first impression, but in contrast to having your stylish business card thrown in the garbage or recycled, you’ve now earned a spot in their smartphone. Now when they need your product or service, you’re right there in their phone.

Internet Marketing & QR Codes: From offline to online:
Placing a QR code on a flyer or poster in-store and link your QR to your mailing list sign up or Facebook page.

Capturing prospect’s data; whether it be their email address, or having them as a fan on your Facebook page is invaluable. Data capture is the most basic and critical of internet marketing strategies. It allows you to grow and nurture a list of prospects, and the bigger your list, the better your odds of converting prospects into customers through ongoing internet marketing activities.

In summary
QR codes are an inexpensive and cutting edge addition to your marketing or internet marketing efforts.

QR Codes offer enhanced tracking abilities and a compelling call to action for tech savvy users. QR codes transform prospects from passively reading an ad to actively participating in your internet marketing campaign.

Your Turn!

I’d love to hear your questions or challenges – Tell me in the comments below.

And, if you enjoyed this post, please share it!

Laurel Lindsay is a Calgary Internet Marking Consultant & President of The New Media Group Inc. She has over 8 years hands-on Internet Marketing experience.