General Website Questions
Q: What separates one website company from another?
A: As you probably know there are a host of website providers in the funeral industry. Everyone from industry specific companies to your neighbor next door, all of which are promising you they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Don’t be fooled!
First, you will be better off using an industry specific company that solely concentrates on the funeral industry. These companies have pre-built technologies that they can use over and over from one website to the next. Generally, that helps on the price and in the end gives you a quality product that has been tested by hundreds of others.
Q: My casket company offers websites, is this a good idea?
A: Do you go to your doctor for legal advice? Or do you go to your attorney for medical care? Then why would you use your casket manufacture as your website provider? When casket companies like Batesville and Aurora came out with their website templates, all they were trying to do is add value to their core product line, caskets. The problem with this is, websites are not there core business. Although these casket template websites have been a great starting point for some funeral homes, most find that they grow out of that solution pretty quickly. If you want to stay on top and have a cutting edge website, then you must work with a cutting edge technology company that concentrates on funeral home websites.
Q: What should a website include?
A: The basic components that are a must in every website are:
- Obituaries
- Online Video Tributes
- Online Pre-arrangement Form
- Online Guest book
- Contact Page
- A very good “Resource” page
Q: Do families really use a funeral home website?
A: If you have online obituaries, online video tributes and a good resource page, I think 99% of funeral homes would be amazed at the amount of traffic they get on their website. Go out and do some research, look at how many families are using the online guest book. Also, our stats tell how that people come to your website and watch the online tribute video not only once, but an average of FIVE times!
Q: Is flash a good idea?
A: If flash animation is used appropriately it can really increase the visual appeal and interactivity of the site. 98% of computers already have the flash player installed so that is almost a non issue. Overall, we say flash is a great idea to make your website stand out from the rest.
Q: Is music a good idea?
A: In some cases we have seen music work ok. But for the most part, we think most users find music to be an annoyance. How many times have you visited a website where it was playing some obnoxious music that you turned off as quickly as possible? Also, keep in mind, the majority of web surfing is happening Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00PM. Guess what that person is supposed to be really doing? Working! So the better idea is to keep the music off the site so that people can view your site when it is most convenient to them.
Q: How do you think an online guest book could be taken to the next level?
A: 99% of current online guest books only allow users to post a text based message. We see this evolving and as early as the beginning of 2008 people will start being able to also post audio and video based messages. If they would like to leave an audio message, simply click the “record” button and talk into their microphone. If they would like to leave a video message, simply click the “record” button and their webcam starts recording. These two new features will take online guest books to the next level and also make them more interactive.
Q: Should I be able to update my own website?
A: Yes! Your website provider should allow access to at least the text in your website so that all you have to do is login to your Administration panel and start updating. The update process should be as easy as using Microsoft word. Most companies would refer to this feature as a Content Management System (CMS).
Q: Should I register and manage my own domain name?
A: There are several funeral homes out there who have went out on their own and registered a domain name. For all those people, you know just how easy it is. But the one thing to watch out for is to make sure that you are paying the yearly fee on time. If you pay it just one day late, you leave the potential of a possible competitor “stealing” the domain name from you. If that happens, there is nothing you can do and it will be lost forever. Imagine the hassle if you already have the domain name printed on all your business cards, letter head, envelopes, and newspaper ads.
Q: Is it a good idea to start spending some money on Search Engine Marketing?
A: Maybe. If you are a funeral home in a location that does not have any competitors at all, then no. But if you have any competition at all, then it would probably not be a bad idea. The goal is to get your name listed first in all the search engines like google, yahoo, and MSN. These are the three main search engines used on a daily bases. You have a few options in how you want to get listed at the top. First, is the free option. You can contact a “Search Engine Optimization Specialist” who can help you get listed towards the top. This will cost you an upfront cost for their time, but then nothing over the long-term. But keep in mind, as search engines change and evolve, you will probably have to re-contact your SEO specialist to keep you at the top. This process also does not happen over night. It can take months to get listed at the top. The quickest and easiest way to get listed at the top is adwords. You can pay a per click fee to have your ad listed.
Q: How much should I spend on a website?
A: The going rate for a nice website is around $1,500-$3,000. Generally, a $1,500 site will get you more of a “template” website and a $3,000 site will get you some additional customization.
Q: Should I post my video tributes to my website?
A: Yes, if you want to increase the amount of traffic to your website and keep people on your website longer, posting video tributes is one of the best things that you can do. We think it is a great service to the family.
Q: Is a pre-planning module necessary?
A: Yes, this can be a good opportunity for your families to start posting their information / wishes. Also, we envision some additional tools at some point that families can use to help close out the estate, etc. More information will be coming out for that soon.
Q: What do you think about an obit notification system?
A: We think that is a great feature and should be included in every funeral home website. Basically, when a family logs onto your site they can sign up for the service so that whenever you post a new obituary it will automatically send out an email to everyone subscribed to your list. This is a good service to provide and a great way to keep your name in front of them.
Q: Should I list all my merchandise on my website?
A: Although some funeral homes list all their merchandise online, we think just a general overview of what you offer is the better way to go.
Q: What about an online gift shop?
A: If you are selling a lot of additional personalized keepsake items, then an online gift shop could be a great idea. Whether you are selling additional book marks, videos, tribute candles, an online store can make it more convenient for additional reorders.
Q: How do I track how many visitors on my website?
A: Any good website company will have a stats program that will allow you to track the number of visitors to your website. Not only should the stats program track the number of visitors, but it should also give you some pretty detailed information like how long the person stayed and what pages they visited.
Q: Where do you see websites five years from now?
A: We see websites becoming more and more interactive. This can include the customization of the site to fit the “experience” that the family wants to receive. Or, this can be with additional tools that allow the family to interact with one another. |
