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Internet/Web / What to Consider Before you Build your Website

Ask what is the purpose of the site?

Information – provide content and info on your products, services, company or  organization. You need to know who is going to write the content and more importantly who will update the material on the site. You must be in control of updating the site. Do not be in a position that you pay others for posting updates

Branding – To reinforce a  brand or be part of a process of developing a     
new one

Lead generation – Provide information and direct potential customers to call or email visit

Sales – Selling through the web, good site gather information about visitors their needs and preferences and then customize offers to them

Transformation – A website can be used to be a vehicle to change direction in a company and the way the company does business

A website can have goals that are a combination of this functions, but  be clear about why you are going to have a site in the first place.

2. Consider

• Whom are you targeting – what market segment are you targeting, try and describe them. Think in terms of gender, geographic area, age occupations
• What do you want clients /visitors to do on the site? Buy , call, email, respond- how are you going to get them to do what you would like
• How will they get to know about the site –

Marketing the Site

• 1. Submit to search engines
• 2. Submit to community website and to forums and chat groups
• 3. Send to all your friends associates
• 4. Include web info on all your marketing materials, cards, stationery
• 5. Collect emails and send out a newsletter, develop a blog
• 6. Develop reciprocal links programs
• 7. Use social networking plat forms Face book My space
• 8. Use affiliate programs

Basics of Good Website design

The site needs to do the job it does not have to be over ornate and so graphically interesting that it confuses or distracts people.

 Think in terms of

• Concept – have your audience in mind -  this will determine colours and style and look and feel
• Content – what style of content and who will write it and update
• Navigation – think carefully with the site designer about the logic of the navigation
• Decoration - Keep it simple
• Marketing  - think marketing from the outset, and build in a blog or web log it increases traffic

Think out the issues before you make the investment in setting up a site. There is a ton of material on the web, in the way you would research any other aspect of your business you must research this area.

Barbara Shaw