Okay, so you understand your small business must have a website. But, how do you get started planning a website? What information do you need, and what should you look for when researching how to start a website?
Planning A Website Doesn't Have To Be Confusing. Follow These Seven Steps In Planning A Website.
7 Steps In Planning A Website
1. Understand what you want and need before planning a web project.
Start kicking the tires of other websites. Take a look at competitors’ sites, other sites that have sparked your interest, or companies and industries with similar marketing strategies. Make a list of what you like and don’t like about each of these websites.
Pay close attention to navigation, color schemes, and use of multimedia. Did you get lost on any of the sites? Were the websites inviting? Informative? Customer-oriented? Did any of the designs detract from their content? It’s crucial when planning a website design that website brand basics aren’t overlooked.
If you’ve assembled a website team to help you gather information about planning a website, bring them into the fold. If it’s just you, ask your friends and family to help. Ask them and other colleagues to bookmark their favorite websites for you to use as models of concepts that work. Bring those concepts, along with your other research, to your first meeting with your web designer.
2. Define your target audience and marketing strategy.
One of the most important steps in planning a website is know who you’re trying to reach. Who will be visiting your website — consumers, businesses, niche markets, current customers, your local community? Think beyond simply targeting potential customers, as there are many other important, interested parties who may visit your website.
Also think about what you are saying to your audience. And more importantly, what do they want to hear? What triggers make them buy? What features and benefits appeal to them? Once you’ve identified your website’s audience, often referred to as your target market(s), and your sales approach, you can start mapping out appropriate content and marketing strategies.
3. Conduct an audit of available website content and proposed content for web use.
Your website’s content is vital to the success of your site. The goal is to see your website through the eyes of a potential customer. To feed your audience information that is of interest to them, not what you think they want to know or what you want them to know.
Start making lists. Write down what website content, information, downloadable documents, and frequently requested materials you’ll want to include on your website. What are common questions potential customers ask? What do prospects want to know about your business?
You’ll need to sit down and review what you already have written for the website, what printed material can be converted for web use, and what you’ll need to have written or produced for your site.
Start gathering customer testimonials, best practices, services/product specifications, white papers, your processes, business philosophy and history. You’ll also want to consider press releases, newspaper clippings, published articles, newsletters and any other public relations-type material. It may seem like a lot, but this will enable your web developer to help you cherry-pick the best content, and segment the material based upon your target audiences.
7 Steps In Planning A Website
(Continued at Planning A Website: How To Start A Website For My Business – Part 2)
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I have been reading blogs all night and I must honestly say that so far this is the most valuable information I have come across. I have defined my market as business owners who are not online and soooooo many of them think a website is ONLY about aesthetics or worse yet, only about being able to say that they have a website. THINK, PLAN, CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE… I know that caps are rude but we really have to get through to you guys, put some though into your work, plan ahead an online presence is about much more than just having a website.
Andres Garcia
P.S. Look forward to PT 2
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