Winning Websites - is your website doing all it can for you?

By Margaret Gill

Build it and they will come……………right?

In the case of websites, they rarely come without a lot of work.  Sadly most people find out the hard way just how much additional work is required after a site goes live.

Often people hire a friend or some hot shot graphic designer to build them a website.  Great excitement follows as the site goes live.  Then NOTHING happens!  Those millions of people out in cyberspace aren’t coming to visit your site and are not giving you loads of money.  So what went wrong?

Sadly this is how most people find out the cruel hard truth about owning a website.

Tip #1 – Shop around

Unless you want a sure fire way to end a friendship quickly, I strongly advise you not to get a friend to do your site.  Sometimes it works but in general I have found if you give a small business owner a couple chardonnays and put them in the sun they will start spilling “my friend built my web site, horror story blues”. 

The good news is that there are ways to get websites built that won’t cost an arm and a leg nor your sanity.  I often recommend to people starting out to simply start with an informative home page.  In the construction of even a one page site you will learn a lot of valuable lessons about websites without spending a lot of money. 

It is critical to interview a lot of designers and get recommendations from people who have sites you like the look of and then give them a couple of chardonnays!  Make sure you get the warts and all stories about their designers.  Your designers ability to listen and offer constructive advise will serve you well.

The key lesson is to be very clear what you want before you commence.  That includes the:

1. Message you want to go out

2. People you want the message to get to (your target market and niche)

3. Type of website you want to build

Tip #2 - Determine the Objective of Your Website

One of the keys to website success is determining in the beginning how big a project your site will be.  I find that there are three main “levels” of websites.

If you are launching your first website, I generally recommend starting out at Level I.  If you are looking to upgrade and further develop your site, give some thought about whether you want to be at Level II or Level III.

Level I: Basic - Electronic Brochure

The Level I website is basically an electronic brochure.  This is a great place for a first website.  You can always expand your Level I website in the future and grow into a Level II or Level III website.

Recommended pages for a Level I website:

• Home Page
• Services or Products
• About You
• Success Stories & Testimonials
• Contact
• Newsletter Sign Up

Level II: More Comprehensive – Site Starts “Working” For You

A Level II website is more comprehensive.  It is an opportunity for you to position yourself as an expert.  This is accomplished by providing value and giving people reasons to visit your site more frequently.  It enables you to build relationships with potential clients and gives people multiple reasons and proof why they should hire you.

Ideas on components of Level II websites:

• More Value-Add Content
• More Interactivity (give them something to do)
• Articles/Past Issues of Newsletters
• Calendar of Events
• Resources
• Free Reports
• Audio Clips
• Blog (Weblog)
• Discussion Boards

Level III: Full E-Commerce Site – Passive Revenue Generator

The main distinction between a Level II and Level III website is that a Level III website has e-commerce capabilities.  Having a Level III website is exciting!  This is when you actually start making money while you sleep. 

The main components of having a Level III website are having a shopping cart service and having products to sell.

Ideas on things you can sell from your Level III website:

• Physical products (books, booklets, CDs, Tape Sets)
• E-Books, E-Booklets
• Teleclass and workshop sign-up
• Audio classes
• Membership sites

Tip #3 – Learn the questions to ask your web designer BEFORE you start

• Can the website you are building now be easily upgraded to a level II or III site in the future?
  
  
• Do you own the files that make up your site or do they belong to the designer? Run a mile if it’s the latter because no one else will be able to change your site and you will be locked into that designer forever.
  
  
• Do they have a system where by you can upload new content and changes to the site?  You must have this or you could end up paying around $80 per hour for even small changes.
  
  
• Will they allow you to have a basic website with lots of relevant text?
  
  
• How much will it cost? Get a firm written quote up front.
  
  
• Push them a little and make sure they aren’t “precious” around changes you might decide to make.
  
  
• Ask to see examples of their work and speak to the owners of those sites.
  
  
• Get a clear timeline and written agreement with finish date.

Tip #4 – Get advice from a business coach before you start building your site

A website these days is a given.  If you are serious about having a business, you need to have some sort of professional web presence, even if it is only a basic Level I information site.

Like everything in business there are rules that need to be followed and the general rule of thumb is:  the more you follow the rules, the more successful you will be.  People get very passionate about their website and often spend hours and mega bucks building a website that quite frankly, only their mother and good friends will probably visit.

Your website is part of a chain of events and a coach not only knows the rules but will be able to help you get your marketing bundle in place BEFORE you build your site.  This tip could save you thousands of dollars and a lot less heartache.

Tip #5 – Find different ways to get people to your site.

To bring people to your site, it is important that you are doing other marketing activities that will force people onto your web site and could include:
 

• Blog on your area of expertise – not how many chocolates you ate today but a relevant, content laden blog posting will often rank higher than your website
  
  
• Do speaking engagements and make sure your website is all over your handouts
  
  
• Put your site in big fonts on your brochure and business cards
  
  
• Get linked via other peoples websites
  
  
• Add your site to your email signature block and encourage people to visit (tell me you have a sig block!)
  
  
• Have your website on your car
  
  
• Write free articles like this one and include your website at the bottom of the article

What do you do when you finally get people to your site?

Tip #6 - COLLECT THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS

She who dies with the biggest database wins!! 

The only sure fire way to keep people coming back and visiting your site is to have their email address so you can keep in touch with them.  The easiest way to do this is via a free offering. 

You will find several free gifts on my web site that offer great value, extraordinary value in fact.  People ask me why I give away a product that is probably worth around $250.  The honest answer is that not only do I like to give but if I keep offering good value and quality product someone will eventually purchase something. The sobering statistic is that it will generally take around eleven different messages before someone will trust a stranger on the internet.  This is why you need to pull people back onto your site regularly.  A monthly newsletter offering extreme value will give your visitors a reason to return.

A website is a complex marketing tool that needs specialised people to help you design, optimise and integrate your website into your marketing bundle.

If you require further information on building a website or tips on what to include in your site, I have an inexpensive workbook you could purchase on my website – click here to visit my site. (www.abundantprivatepractices.com)

Next time we will look at simplifying some of the website terminology that sends new website owners running for the hills!

Margaret Gill of Abundant Private Practices is a business coach and mentor to health and wellbeing practitioners.  Her Full Practice Building System has helped many passionate natural therapists get more clients, help more people and grow the natural therapy practice they deserve and desire.

margaret@margaretgill.com

www.Abundant-Private-Practices.com

This article orginally appeared on Samantha Richardson's fabulous Empowering Women Website

© 2007 Margaret Gill