Find the Purpose of Your New / Proposed Website
Absolutely everything stems from the purpose of your website -
selection of hosting, programming, graphic design, copywriting,
internet marketing, autoresponder service, and e-commerce. So
it's very important to establish the purpose of your business
website first. The most common purposes for a business website
are:
* A company brochure: explain to customers (or potential
customers), suppliers and shareholders more about the business
* Product news releases: distribution of pricelists, product
specifications & photos
* Information releases: downloadable brochures, documents, forms
& marketing material
* Lead generation: allow customers to contact you directly via
phone, fax, email or SMS.
* Sale generation: complete a transaction on the website (eg.
Purchase a book, magazine subscription, etc.)
The above list is ordered from the most simple to the most
complex website. Generally, if you want customers to buy your
product or service via your website, your website will be more
complex - including a shopping cart, secure payment gateway,
customer record management, product/stock management and
automated customer service. And generally, the more complex a
website, the more time it will take to develop, and the more it
will cost.
However, I recommend that if you're taking the time and effort
to build your business website, you may as well build yourself
something decent. So I always recommend business owners plan for
a website that will generate fresh leads or sales.
The purpose of your business website should closely relate to
your overall business plan. Too many businesses make the mistake
of setting up a website and forgetting about it.
A well-planned, well-developed website can be a fundamental part
of your business. Not only to present a professional image to
your customers, but actually generate new business. And that
means more sales!
So take a few hours to sit down and work out how your business
website fits into the bigger picture.
Takeaway Tips
* The more effort put into planning, the more successful the
website is likely to be.
* Your business website will compete with many others for
customers' attention. Professional presentation, design and
functionality are essential. Money invested in good presentation
is money well spent.
* A website and its objectives and capabilities must be a part
of your overall business strategy.
* Always look for new ideas - look at other websites.
* Do not try and do it all at once. Develop your website in
stages. Each stage should provide useful information and
features for your customers. A staged development will also help
to encourage repeat visits by customers.
* Ensure that your site is designed in a way that you can make
changes to content yourself, from your own computer - avoid
reliance on the web developer for day-to-day changes.
* Update website content regularly, to keep it fresh and
interesting.
Once you have an overall strategy for your business website in
place, the next thing to consider is the budget. How much are
you going to spend? After all for most businesses, money does't
grow on trees