Sometimes you have to walk away. You can fire your web development company if you’re not getting the results you deserve. Nothing is holding you back from making a better decision about a new web development company if your current one ignores, lies and cheats you out of a considerable about of time and money. The headaches are not worth it, so consider these examples to see if it’s time to fire your current provider.

You can’t call the business directly.

Evaluate your current web development company’s communications to see if you’re working with the right company. You should be able to speak with a human being instead of an answer machine, but a face-to-face discussion about your project is ideal. Depending on the depth of your project, your correspondence should include project reports, data profiles and confirmations for project milestones. If you cannot remember the last time you discussed your project, it’s time to let the firm go.

Your project’s ETA changes every week.

One red flag to address is the consistent excuses from the web development company. First, they’re never available to discuss your project then you receive a random email informing you the project is pushed back. After reading through the email, you realize the firm never called to request additional information or ask you for an opinion on the “new ideas” they want to implement on your site. The next email you receive from the firm is that you will have to pay extra for the additional work because they are working over the estimated completion date.

Here’s a better solution:

Send the company a deadline for completion. If they cannot provide a detailed explanation of the delays, you should request a refund for their lack of professionalism. Review the company’s Terms of Service, Guarantee and make sure they offer a refund if the company cannot provide the right services. Point this information out to your account manager and demand a refund. Find a company that’s willing to finish your work in a reasonable time and/or report the firm to the Better Business Bureau.

Your business needs to work with professionals interested in helping you reach your goals. If you’re always on the edge or upset about your company’s excuses, move forward. Reputable web development firms believe in allowing customers to have choices. You’re also given opportunities to work directly with an account manager that’s happy to fulfill your orders.

Not sure how to break up with your current firm? Call them directly with a definite deadline. If they cannot finish the order, cut your losses and leave the company alone. Just take baby steps in finding a new one that does a better job.

There are a number of misconceptions about the web development process. Many people think that a great design is all that is needed. However, these individuals do not understand that the design is just the beginning. The most common misconceptions are related to the time it takes to launch the site after the web design quote is accepted by the customer. The web development process requires planning in order to be successful. For some sites a simple design might be best, while another web site might require a complicated shopping cart.

Determining the needs of the business is just the beginning of the planning process. A systematic web development procedure ensures that important aspects of the website are properly constructed. For instance, great navigation is often overlooked in a website, but poor navigation can kill a site. If customers have a hard time moving around through the web pages, they will just leave. The design should get customers interested in learning more about the business, product or service, and natural navigation will help them explore to find the details. Navigation is a problem for initial visits; however, bad content is the quickest way to keep customers from coming back to your site. The goal of website development should be more than getting customers to visit your website. You want them to find your site and then stay on the website learning about your business. The goal should always be to keep them on the site as long as possible and give them a reason to come back.

So what is the content of a website? It includes everything from the applications embedded in the site to the FAQ page. The content might include photographs of past work or new products. It can also include descriptions of services or articles that teach visitors about how to use a product or service. These little bits of information keep the visitor interested in the site. Without excellent content even the best website will fail. In addition to the elements mentioned earlier, there are also applications that are included within web development. These applications are often determined by what the site’s purpose will be. For instance, is your site just for potential customers, or will you use the site as an added convenience for existing clients? You may want your site to offer the ability to look up account information, pay bills, or order new products. All of these services require different applications that would be incorporated into the website.

Obviously, web development would include coming up with a great web design, but it also requires the creation of smart navigation, interesting content and useful applications that will ensure the sites success. The misconception most people have about web development is the complex nature that is involved in creating a superior website. A website requires thorough planning to be done correctly.

Have you considered discussing your landing pages with your PPC management firm lately? While you may think that simply writing an informative page with a compelling offer is enough to bring in the sales, there is much more to consider. If you don’t take the time to create targeted pages that will attract potential customers and offer a product or service that will fill a need in their life, you will be unable to increase your conversions and earn a healthy profit from your PPC management. Here’s some help.

What is a Landing Page?

This is generally a separate page used to generate interest and lead potential clients to the next phase of the sales process. While landing pages used to be extremely lengthy, filled with bold and red lettering, highlighted words and numerous testimonials, that approach has faded away. That’s sort of the “used car salesman” approach to landing pages. Today, your landing page should be clean, not too lengthy, properly SEO’d and include the following:

Tips for Developing Great Sales Pages

* Keywords – Your landing pages will need to appeal to both Google (to be included in search results) as well as your potential clients. This is often a fine line to walk. Your keyword phrases should appear naturally throughout the page and read without sounding forced. The keywords will connect you to your PPC campaign correctly and help you to gain ground with Google, while also allowing searchers to find your website.

* Clear Benefits- if your sales pages don’t provide your customers with specific and needed information, they are most likely going to search elsewhere. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Ask yourself what they would like to know, and give them that information. What are the benefits? What will they miss out on if they don’t choose your product or service over another? Your landing page is your opportunity to shine.

* Satisfaction Guaranteed-Do you promise your customer fast, reliable shipping? Do you offer no-hassle returns? Remember, your landing page should offer so many benefits that the positive far outweighs any potential negative. Leave no reason for your potential customer to search for another, similar business. You should be the final stop. Fast shipping? Yes. Money back guarantee? Yes. Quality product? Yes.

* A Compelling Headline- Your landing page’s headline is the first thing that draws your potential client in. If the headline doesn’t capture their attention, they may exit out of your page without even reading past the first couple of sentences. If you want to keep your customer’s on your landing page and eventually lead them to the purchase area, you need to start with a great headline. The best headlines provide solutions to problems. “Tired of sleepless nights? Here is your answer.” The headline should always be positive, giving your customer hope that you can help them with your product or service.

* Call to Action- Make sure your landing pages have a call to action. This may be as simple as encouraging the customer to click a link to find out more information or a ‘buy it now’ link to encourage them to finalize the purchase.

If you are concerned about whether your landing pages are working well to increase your conversions and attract customers, consult your PPC management company. You may need to increase the number of landing pages you have to support your keywords, modify your headlines, and improve the quality of information you’re providing your customers in order to increase the conversions you see with your PPC management.