I was recently checking out a particular business' website. It wasn't very professional, so I wasn't impressed. Not only did the website utilize poor design concepts, the content included poor grammar, useless information, few examples, and at least one unfortunate link.
The link was under the company's client list. I call the link 'unfortunate' for two reasons. First, the client company is apparently defunct, and has been for a few years. Second, the client's e-mail address is one he uses for personal messages. A quick search on this e-mail address led to his profile on an adult website.
If I want to learn more about a company's clients, the last thing I want to discover is some failed entrepeneur's perversions. The poor decisions made by this first company ensures I will never refer my clients nor use their services.
This is an extreme example of how bad external links can negatively impact your business.
It is a good idea to review your external links at least twice per year. Businesses open, close, move, change names, change websites, and change vendors. Ask yourself (or your web administrator) the following questions:
1. Are the links correct? Many websites use similar domain names. For instance, my company's domain name is totem-media.com, not totemmedia.com.
2. Do the links reflect your newest clients? Depending upon how often you add new clients to your roster, create a regular update schedule.
3. Do the links contain former clients? There is no need to waste your valuable webspace promoting companies that are no longer your clients.
4. Where do the links lead? Do the external link websites/e-mail addresses lead to a place you want potential clients to see? As in the example above, I don't want to end up in a business-inappropriate website while I'm working. Another issue is if the client's website does not reflect a professional, successful business. Potential clients want to feel that you will help their business grow. If all they see are low-end struggling businesses, they are likely to find a vendor with better business ties.
As employers are checking potential employees personal websites and looking for info on web search engines, so are your potential clients. How does your website, and the links therein, demonstrate you are the right business to hire?
For more information or assistance with your website, contact a multimedia consultant at Totem Media, L.C., because we know "You deserve to be seen and heard!"
