We are very excited to tell you about some new changes at Zip Net. We are always looking at ways to add value for our clients, so today, as we unveil our new website , we are also adding a new feature, ZipNews, our bi-weekly newsletter.

We hope you’ll check out this first issue, and if you like what you see, you’ll subscribe to receive a new issue every two weeks. It’s a great way to keep up-to-date on topics of interest to small business owners. For example, we will be talking about ways you can supercharge your marketing efforts, increase your customer base, improve customer service, attract more traffic to your website, and utilize a variety of tools and tips to improve your company’s profitability.

You will also have the opportunity to write back online, and join the discussion as people share their experiences, good or bad, with the topic at hand.

Of course, you can unsubscribe anytime by clicking on the unsubscribe link in every newsletter.

10 Easy Website Performance Checks

I came across a great post the other day by Word of Mouth marketing expert, Andy Sernovitz, that featured this picture.

Andy’s point: Website quality can influence your credibility. He says, you wouldn’t go to a job interview in dirty pajamas, would you? Why take a chance with your website? Read the rest of Andy’s post here

We all know by now the importance of having a website, that it is one of the best ways to market your business, and the least expensive route to advertising and sales. Think about it: once built, your website has the potential to reach millions of people, and serve you month after month, with no more expense than the $15-20 you spend on hosting fees each month. And the best part is, it works for you 24/7, but there is a catch… all websites do not perform at the same level – some produce outstanding results, while others just limp along.

Research has shown that visitors usually decide within the first 4 seconds whether to stay and explore a website or to move on. Here’s a quick and dirty way to find out how ‘sticky’ your website is:

Pretend you’ve never been to your website before and answer the following questions as if you were a new visitor seeing it for the first time. When you’re finished, tally up your responses to see your score.

• Does your site load quickly (less than 4 seconds)? People don’t like to wait.
• Can people quickly scan your home page to find out what you do or what you sell (no more than 4 seconds)?
• Is your web copy compelling and appropriate for your audience?
• Does your website have good quality graphics instead of generic clip art?
• Can visitors easily get around your site and find information? By this I mean, is the navigation clear, or do people have to guess where the information may be located?
• Is the content on your website current and accurate?
• Is the text large enough for visitors to easily read?
• Does your site look the same in all major browsers?
• If your site automatically plays a sound file in the background, are visitors given a control for turning it off?
• Does your website offer visitors a way to contact you?

Give yourself one point for each question to which you answered ‘Yes.’ Here’s how to read the score:

9-10: your site is probably in pretty good shape
6-8: your site can probably be improved with a minor tune up
5 or less: it’s likely your site is in need of a major overhaul

If you think your site needs change, talk to a professional and get specific advice on how you can improve your site’s performance.