Web-savvy pros show Lynn chamber members key online business skills

LYNN ? For most businesses, a well-designed and managed Web site can be the key to future prosperity.So says Peter Van Ness, founder and chief executive of the Gloucester-based Web-design firm Van Ness Group, Inc., one two high-technology business professionals who shared their insights at a Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting last week at the Porthole Pub.Corey Tapper, founder and president of Techevolution in Lynn, was quick to agree, noting that his company creates and hosts Web sites and email accounts, and provides live technical support for its customers.”We provide a place for your Web site to live and we handle your email,” said Tapper. “People perceive you by your Web site.”As Tapper explained, acquiring a domain name is important because it has a more professional online appearance than piggybacking on a major hosting site, such as Earthlink, and having visitors redirected to your Web site. Even independent entrepreneurs working alone from their homes are better served by a personalized domain name, he said. After all, it’s difficult to tell a one-man band from a full orchestra by simply looking at a domain name.Tapper cited www.abc.com as a sample domain name and suggested those creating one give it plenty of thought before deciding so that the name reflects what the business offers. For example, most Web surfers would rightly presume that www.zazupizzaparlor.com is just that n a restaurant that serves pizza.Tapper advises purchasing a domain name, Web site hosting service and email accounts from the same vendor in an effort to simply the process, particularly if transferring all those products becomes necessary.Godaddy and Network Solutions are two major companies that offer domain registration and other services.”Have the whole process planned out before you begin,” he said, adding that a suitable Web site hosting company should be based in the U.S., provide customers with live support from English-fluent staffers, offer an easy-to-use control panel, and be an actual Web-hosting company rather than one that contracts its accounts to a larger firm because it does not own data servers and other necessary equipment.Be wary of companies that offer Web hosting and email for $2.99 a month, he said. “You get what you pay for.”Such companies typically offer technical support via email and a response could take days. In many cases, those responding to questions or problems speak English as a second language, which can lead to miscommunication and frustration, Tapper said.Another Tapper tip: Web-savvy businesses should not send out Spam because it can anger customers and get the domain blacklisted. Do not lie. And if you send out an e-newsletter, make sure it comes with a survey button for feedback and an unsubscribe button for those who no longer want to receive it.Van Ness, who has shifted his clients’ Web sites onto Techevolution’s servers, advises businesses to spend two-thirds of their advertising budget online. Print is dead, he said.”The Web is all about marketing,” Van Ness continued. “Know your audience.”Businesses should ask themselves: What is the purpose of my Web site? What should my customers do once they get there? Have I shown them how I will meet their needs?”Content is king,” said Van Ness, repeating what has become one of the most cited maxims of the World Wide Web. “It’s what you have to give.”According to Van Ness, massive search engines like Google browse the Web for key words. “Content needs to be text because search engines can’t recognize anything inside an image,” he said.Equally important are things like linking your Web site’s homepage to pages on other Web sites, and keeping the content fresh. Web surfers don’t want to see the exact same content each time they visit a site. Remember, he said, MTV did away with attention span 20 years ago, and the Web has continued the trend.Van Ness told the chamber members how he dramatically increased Web traffic for the Gloucester-based Yankee Fle