This week I have spoken with several small businesses who already have a website. They’re now asking how to make it work…
The problem is when you build a website without understanding how the web works, you can be left with something that looks amazing and doesn’t do its job. Unfortunately, web designers have a habit of being great at design but totally clueless about how the web works and human nature.
When you build a website, you have two bosses – your target audience and the search bots.
You do need to give the search bots clues about where you are and what your web pages are about. You also need to play the popularity game and have other websites linking into you and social mentions. This is known as search optimisation and the whole game has changed over the last couple of months too.
You also need to know your audience, what they want and let them know what you want them to do. Yes, tell them what to do next. Tell them to pick up the phone, fill in the form, click the buy button.
It is certainly not a case of building your website and people just turning up and picking up the phone or clicking a buy button!
7 questions to ask before you build a website
1. Who is your audience? No, it’s not everyone.
2. What are their issues and how can you help them?
3. What type of words and phrases do they use when searching?
4. What do you want your website to achieve?
5. What actions do you want your viewers to take?
6. How are you going to promote your website?
7. How are you going to measure results?
When you come to build a website for your business, or redesign your current site, answer those questions first. Your web designer should be helping and working with you to answer them. How can they design something that is search and people friendly without knowing the answers themselves?
I made a mind-map not too long ago to help my clients understand the thought process and understand why I ask so many questions! This is the small version, you can download the PDF here.
Understand the online business basics before you build a website
It is a lot to take in and a lot of work up front, but it is worth it. You’ll save time, effort, frustration and of course money in the long run. Understand that when you build a website it’s not a one off job, it needs updating, maintaining, analysing and promoting.
If you are not prepared to put in the time and effort to build a website with the basics for it to work for you (or hire someone to do it) then what is the point in investing in a website in the first place? Your thoughts are welcome in the box below 🙂
Want To Build A Website? 7 Questions To Ask Yourself First by Jan Kearney
Grab your guide to local search and learn:
- What elements are important on your website
- How to set up your Google My Business Local Page
- How Google Plus can help you zoom past your competitors
- Two things you should not neglect if you want to rank in the local search pack
- How to power past your competitors and dominate your area
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Really useful article & common sense tips! The mind-map is great, I shall be keeping that for future reference 🙂
Thanks.
Hi Naomi, thanks for popping in, glad you like the mind-map too 🙂
Thanks Jan, Great article and mind map – helped me think about my website some more http://www.cheshirepetsitters.co.uk 🙂 and given me some thoughts about how to focus more on target audience and ‘where they hang out’. Off to do some research.
Hi Jane 🙂 It’s all about the audience, enjoy your research!
Nice one. I’ve copied and pasted it into the brief for my new website (forthcoming…) so I can consider all these points before we start off.
Hi Ginny! A new website, what are you up to? Yes, I am nosey!
Great post. It explains why paying cheap for a website doesn’t work. Love the mind map I may keep that for future reference.
Glad you liked the Mindmap Mike. As you know, there’s a lot more to a website than just getting something online 🙂 Thanks for popping in and taking the time to comment 🙂
Thanks Jan in the ‘pre’ stages – probably more of design than a technical change.
Good luck with that Ginny, looking forward to seeing it 🙂
I want to say about the image you posted with your article…its very amazing and so much helpful to understand online business way
Thank you for your kind words Miraz 🙂