BusinessWeek recently posted a blog “Understand Your Web Site’s Marketing Potential” in which Robert Rose, Vice President of Marketing & Strategy at CrownPeak, named his top three rules to remember when planning a website. Take a look at what Rose suggests and how Active Website is addressing these recommendations.

3 key components to a great website:

1. Make it easy. Beyond the aesthetics of a site, another important aspect of website design is Usability. Active Website ensures that the design follows best practices for usability, designing the pages to guarantee the user experience is efficient, effective and satisfying. 
2. Be Specific. Careful consideration goes into photo placement, call-to-action buttons and other aspects of navigation. Helping the consumer get where they need to be is key.
3. Don’t be shy. Rose says that you should “encourage your customers to share their feedback and ask permission to use positive reviews on your site. A good testimonial can go a long way toward instilling faith in your business.”

These suggestions may seem obvious but they are things many often fail to consider. There are proven studies on what consumers look for, are attracted to and use the most on websites. It’s important to think from the consumer’s perspective and not your own.

Remember: No matter how brilliant a site looks, if a visitor cannot get the information they need, it fails as an effective marketing tool.

Read the BusinessWeek blog here.