Before You Call a Web Developer, Ask Yourself One Question
People waste a tremendous amount of time and money on pointless Web sites. The reality is that a Web site should be treated like any other business or marketing expenditure. As with any other advertising medium, you should set goals for your Web site. For example, suppose you sell dog treats. You spend a bunch of money printing a brochure that explains why your dog treats are healthier or tastier than the ones at the grocery store. The goal for that brochure is to give people information on all the fabulous benefits of your special dog treats.
In much the same way, your Web site might explain why your dog treats are great. In fact, it might be nothing more than an "online brochure" with a lot of the same information as the paper one. That's a reasonable goal for a new site. Since lots of people surfing around online have dogs, later on you may decide that you want to expand your horizons outside of your local area and use the Internet to sell your marvelous dog treats online. In that case, you might need to learn more about ecommerce, merchant accounts, and shopping carts.
As a general rule, people go online to find information, to be entertained, or to buy stuff. If your site lets people do one or more of these things, it has a reason to exist. However, unlike your paper brochure, a Web site has only about four seconds to get your message across (according to a recent report from Akamai and Jupiter Research). If you have no clue what information people are supposed to glean from your Web site, neither will your site visitors. Four seconds later, they're gone and they probably won't return.
Your site goals have a lot to do with your business. Many businesses put up Web sites largely for people who are outside of the community and looking for products or services. The most likely visitors to these sites would be tourists and people moving or new to the community, so the information on the site could include frequently asked question (FAQ) pages, pricing, driving directions, and contact information
When setting Web site goals, it makes sense to think about the visitors you are hoping to attract to the site. Who will be reading it? What do they need to know? Why would they visit your site in the first place? What terms would they type into a search engine to find your site? If you don't have good answers for these questions, you should reconsider the question I asked at the beginning of this article: "Why do you need a Web site?"
Not every business needs a Web site. Many service businesses that rely exclusively on local customers and word of mouth may not. You know your business better than anyone, so before you pick up the phone to call a Web designer, think about what you want your Web site to do for you and why.
Related Tags: business, online, goals, visitors, web site, customers, web developer, developing site, web goals
Susan Daffron is the President of Logical Expressions, Inc. (http://www.logicalexpressions.com) and is the coauthor of Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Web Sites that Work (http://www.logicalebiz.com) and several other books. She also has written more than 300 newspaper and national magazine articles and publishes three ezines.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Things To Know About Getting Visitors To Your Website
You Must Get Targeted Traffic To Your Business Website, Paid or Free.Let's face it! Without traffic - Website Designing :better Buck Up For Better Conversion
Slow and steady wins the race. Is it? It may not be true for the realms of offshore web designing. W - Know Basics Of Websites Before Designing Website For Your Specific Needs
Present is the age of internet and without having an online identity no organization or firm is comp - Web Design Methodology
Since the budding of the internet the use of web has been increased by leaps and bounds due to boomi - Indian Php Developers Is Cost-effective Web Development Solutions
PHP is an open source programming language which is used to create customized web development soluti - Why A Logo
Pictures are a powerful medium of communication; they tend to stick with us. You could forget a line - 8 Common Web Development Mistakes To Avoid
When you are ready to start with your online business the first thing which comes in front of you is - Web Design- The Window To A World Of Success
It can take your business to the international level in a quick and easy way. Your website can take - Only Basements - Perfect Basement Design Ideas In Ottawa And Montreal
An idea can change our lives. Any idea which is constructive offers great benefits. It can be anythi - A Premium Website Helps In Creating Charisma In The Web World
Websites play a very important role in the advancement of a company. It is your website that forms a
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Why Custom Logo Design Matters-Are You Satisfied
Why custom logo design matters With so many companies competing for the same clients, it's becoming - Internet Web Page Design
Internet web page design is something we must master if we are to build a successful internet busine - Is your website innovative? Increase Your Business Over Night!
While studying online for IT investment opportunities, I found that one main factor was constant. Al - How to Get Profits from Your 404 Page not Found file.
"'Page Not Found' on this Server. Check the URL and try again. Or Refresh the page..."This - The Psychology of Web Surfers
Here are some things you should know about web surfers: They are busy They - Advantages of an Online Site Builder
There are numerous choices when it comes to building web sites. One of the first choices you will ha - How To Create Clear Web Site Graphics (Part 2 of 2)
Web site graphics can spice up your web sites and increase stickability if used correctly.In this ar - The Title An Accurate And Descriptive Summary
It's the little things that count. The obvious and most times overlooked are usually the most import - How To Create Clear Web Site Graphics (Part 1 of 2)
Clear web site graphics can spice up your web sites and increase stickability if appropriately used. - Building Community Websites Equals Success Online
In this article I will discuss how important is it to build community websites rather than straight