Ok I need a web site…Where Do I Go From Here?

Before you even consider what your web site will look like, consider
what does it take to be successful online.

Gone are the days of building a web site, registering with a few
search engines and sitting back and watch the cash roll in. There are
numerous things you need to do to ensure success. The most important is thought and planning.

To be successful online the following must be true. You must provide
a product or service that there is a need for; your site must achieve
reasonably high traffic and have good sales conversion. It's
straight-forward and this applies to every business but it's not easy
to achieve each one of these, let alone all, which is required to be
successful.

Creating a web site is more than taking a printed brochure and
converting it into a set of linked web pages.  A web site like any
marketing strategy requires planning and a number of development
phases.  In this months article we will tackle the hardest part of
creating a successful on-line venture.

Market research and planning is required to begin creating a
successful Web site, think about your goals and objectives for it.
Compare price, quality service and image before you begin building.
Ensure you have items one and three of the formula for success namely a product that is in demand and your sales conversion will be high. Item two achieving high traffic will be the sole source of a later
article.

You want a Web site that works, works for you, and certainly doesn't
work against you. Try to figure out how your Web site will compliment
your present printed materials, marketing, and communications.

Give your site a purpose. Why do you want a site?  What do you hope to achieve from the web site? Can you enhance the current service you provide using the web?

What are your goals? How will you measure the success of your web
site?  What image do you want your site to project?

Consider your content. What information will your customers expect to see and in what format? What information can you provide for your web site? How often will this information change?
Who will be your audience? What market segments are you looking to attract on the Web: current customers, your competitors’ customers, and/or new customers? Are your customers likely to be Internet savvy or relative newcomers? What information do you want to receive from the site visitors?

Does the Internet provide new opportunities for your business? How
will the Internet affect the company's short and long-term goals?
Define what your Web site can possibly do for your public image,
customer service & support, lead generation, and sales.

Set a budget for initial development, ongoing costs, site management maintenance, and semi-annual (or annual) site reviews and redesigns (site makeovers) to be covered in other issues.
Set time frames for each phase of the project and strive to make each milestone. If changes are required during the project, carefully look at their impact on cost and completion dates. Ask yourself this
question.  Is it better to stick to the plan and make the changes
later or to implement these changes during the development phase?

Once you have answers for these questions (as well as others that may arise), you will then have focus on the objectives and will know why you are creating a web site.  The web site's objectives, the primary target audiences, and how visitors can interact with you through your web site.

Don't get lost in the temptation to be all things to all people.
Maintain a focus on simplicity of delivery and an attitude of
progress.  With millions of sites on the web, your strategy needs to
invoke a sense of creativity and originality. Many of the sites
currently on the web have been rushed into production. It is easy to
distinguish a site that its only purpose is to say, "I'm on the Web!"
Do your research. Take the time now to develop your strategy, answer these questions and save yourself both time and money in the end. 

Next step "Domain Names" will be a task for next month. This article
will contain tips and strategies for obtaining a Domain Name and why are they so important.  If you have any questions, comments or would like to subscribe to the on-line series regarding web site
development, options, maintenance, and marketing articles please
email: sdarosa@masterpiecegraphics.com.