Having a website in the 21st century is a large part of an individual's or a business's overall success. Whether your desired reach is to your local community or that of being on a global stage, having a website can help insure your success in building your brand and getting your message out to those you want to reach. Because a website is so important, properly planning your website for success should be a top priority for you, whether you already have a website or not.
Planning your website for success does not have to be a long and drawn out process. It's just a matter of answering some basic questions. Most of the questions are things that you may have already thought of - whether you have a website or not. Unfortunately, for most people who want to have an online presence, they never take the time to think through and write down what is important to them and their goals for utilizing the Internet for their success. This is where companies like ours become very helpful to you. We understand what is needed and how to best make it happen for you in an economical way.
We can help you gain an understanding of what is important, why it is, and how to use it to your advantage. A good place to start however is by getting what you have in your head about your website and how you want to use the Internet, written down on paper. Once you can do this, you will have the guidelines you need for making your website development and marketing decisions.
The following questions are what every website owner must answer if they want to have a successful website. Your answers will become the basis of what your content will be, how you will present it, and what you will provide in the way of a call to action for the visitors to your website. While many of these questions may be questions that you have already answered in your mind, taking the time to write out your answers in detail can be a big help in seeing your Internet presence has a successful outcome for you, your business or your cause. Having a clear understanding of what you want and how you want your website to be will also help you by providing a reference source for you or the individuals that you may have helping you in your marketing efforts.
- What is the main purpose of the website?
- If the website is for a business, organization or cause, what is the vision and mission statement that you want the world to understand about the reason you are doing what you are doing?
- Is there a specific group of people or prospects that you want your website to target, either locally or globally?
- What is the most important/main information that you want to provide to a visitor to your website that will give them an accurate, in depth understanding of the "who, what, why, where, when, and how" of what you do, promote, or provide to the world?
- What products or services will you offer through your website?
- Will you accept payments through your website or is your website strictly for information purposes only?
- Will you collect visitor information through a lead capture page so that you can build a relationship with them leading to the fulfillment of the main purpose for your website?
- Will you be using an email marketing campaign that will be integrated with your lead capture page or registration process?
- Will your website provide constant updates or additional information related to your website's purpose through that of periodic articles on subjects of interest?
- If you plan to collect visitor information, what will be the compelling offer you will provide in return for their basic contact information?
- Do you want your website to provide an immediate call to action that will require a visitor to register while they are on your website the first time?
Having the answers to each of these questions are important when planning your website for success. Planning is after all, is a significant part of success in anything you do. If you have not already done so, take some time to answer these important questions as completely and as articulately as possible. Your answers will provide you a very good foundation for the successful development and/or redevelopment of your website, and ultimately aid in the success of your online marketing success.