Website planning 101
If you’re a small business owner with a b2b website, most if not all your website traffic will originate from people who already know your website exists. Common website problems include:
- failure to attract relevant search engine traffic, and
- being unable to convert visitors/prospects into paying customers.
The majority of website owners will go through at least 2 website redesigns before they either:
- give up trying to find a system that works for their business,
- settle for a less than ideal solution, or
- by a stroke of good luck, actually end up with an online marketing tool they can use.
If you ask a typical small business owner why his website fails to live up to its expectations, he’ll often blame the design team that put the site together. If you had to ask the design team why the site failed to achieve its objectives, you’ll probably hear them blame the client. And so it goes.
It’s all about planning
The fact is that if you want your website to be a successful online marketing tool, you need to know what you want to achieve and you need to be prepared to work hand in hand with your designers. Once you realize the importance of your pre-planning and your continued input to the success of the project, you’ll start to see a better result. Note: This doesn’t mean you should appoint yourself chief designer, just chief advisor.
When planning your website, you should address at least the following points:
- Why your company needs to be online in the first place.
- How to analyze your competition online.
- How to identify niche markets for your products and services.
- How best to market your website.
- How to set attainable, measurable goals for your online marketing campaign.
- Why you need to set a budget and a timescale for your website design/redesign project.
- How to develop your website structure.
- The right kind of online content and where to find it.
- How to compile a detailed online marketing plan and website design specification.
- How to measure your results.
Build a website strategy around these points, and you’ll increase website traffic & sales conversions dramatically, helping you build a community of loyal, informed customers from across town or across the globe.
