| QUESTION: | | | | required to interest customers in the products |
| Should I build and maintain my business Web site | | | | you sell or services you provide. |
| myself or pay someone else to do the work for | | | | Here's are a few questions that, once answered, |
| me? -- Wesley L. | | | | will help ensure that your Web site's message is |
| ANSWER: | | | | as appealing as its design. Go over these points |
| When you say, pay someone else to do the | | | | with the designer before the design process |
| work for you, Wesley, I am going to assume that | | | | begins as the answers will help determine the |
| you are talking about hiring a professional Web | | | | direction your Web site's design should take. |
| site designer to do the work and not your | | | | What Is The Purpose Of Your Web Site? |
| next-door neighbor's teenage son. If my | | | | Most business Web sites have two purposes: (1) |
| assumption is correct, then read on. If not, go | | | | to educate the consumer and, (2) to sell them |
| ahead and flip over to the comics section. You will | | | | products or services. If you sell shoes, for |
| get no good out of the advice I'm about to give, | | | | example, the purpose of your Web site is to |
| so you might as well consult Dilbert for your hot | | | | educate potential customers on the quality and |
| business tips. | | | | durability of your shoes and as a result, to sell |
| Should you build and maintain your business Web | | | | them shoes. If you paint houses the purpose of |
| site yourself or pay someone to do it for you? | | | | your Web site is to educate home owners on |
| Let me answer your question with a couple of | | | | why your services are superior to other painters |
| my own. Number one: is building and maintaining | | | | and sell them on hiring you to paint their house. |
| Web sites the key focus of your business? | | | | By defining the purpose of your Web site you will |
| Number two: could your time be better spent | | | | give the designer the information required to |
| doing more important things like, oh I don't know, | | | | create a Web site that best conveys that |
| say running your business? If your answers were | | | | purpose to your target audience. |
| no and yes, respectively, then you have no | | | | Who Is My Target Audience? |
| business building and maintain a Web site. | | | | Your target audience consists of those folks you |
| Remember this: every minute you spend on | | | | want to attract to your Web site: potential and |
| tasks that are not related to the key focus of | | | | current customers, future and current employees, |
| your business is time spent to the detriment of | | | | possible investors, etc. Anyone who might be |
| your business. In other words, every minute you | | | | interested in your company and its products or |
| spend focusing on tasks that do not contribute to | | | | services is a member of your target audience. |
| the growth of your business and thereby increase | | | | Correctly identifying your target audience is vital |
| your bottom line is time wasted. | | | | since your Web site should be designed specifically |
| If you want to be a web designer, be a web | | | | to appeal to your target audience. |
| designer. However, if the key focus of your | | | | Put yourself in their shoes (or in front of their |
| business is building widgets, it doesn't take a | | | | computers). Imagine your Web site through their |
| rocket scientist to figure out that your time would | | | | eyes. If you were visiting a Web site such as |
| be better spent building widgets, not Web sites. | | | | yours what would you expect to find and what |
| Case in point: I once had a very wealthy dentist | | | | would you be disappointed not to find? Identify |
| ask if I could teach him how to maintain his Web | | | | your target audience, then have your Web site |
| site so he wouldn't have to pay me to do it. Now | | | | designed to fulfill their needs and surpass their |
| my teeth had helped put this guy's kids through | | | | expectations. |
| college, but that didn't seem to matter. At that | | | | What Content Should My Web Site Feature? |
| moment he was more concerned about having to | | | | Your Web site content should be driven by the |
| pay for changes to his Web site than my | | | | nature of your business. If you're a real estate |
| personal oral hygiene. Sure, I said, I'll be glad to | | | | agent, your site should feature photographs of |
| teach you how to update your Web site, just as | | | | homes you have for sale and information on |
| soon as you teach me how to clean my own | | | | buying and selling a home. If you own an auto |
| teeth so I don't have to pay you to do it. He got | | | | body shop, your site might feature before and |
| the point. And he charged me enough for the | | | | after photographs of cars that you have repaired. |
| cleaning to keep his site updated for months. | | | | Remember to determine the purpose of your |
| Smart man. | | | | site, then develop the content to serve that |
| Many business owners think they can't afford a | | | | purpose. |
| professionally designed Web site and that simply is | | | | What's My Competition Doing? |
| not true. While the old adage, "you get what you | | | | The last question you should ask is one of the |
| pay for" is never more true than when applied to | | | | most important: What is your competition doing |
| Web site design, having a professional web | | | | on the Web? Do a Google search for similar |
| designer do the work for you is money well | | | | businesses and click around their Web sites. How |
| spent. A well-designed Web site can bring you a | | | | are their Web sites designed? What message are |
| many-fold return on your investment. You can't | | | | they trying to convey? Are they doing a good |
| say that about too many other collaterals. | | | | job of conveying that message and as a result, |
| While it is best to leave Web site design and | | | | selling products? What do you like about their |
| maintenance to the experts, it is up to you (or | | | | Web sites? What don't you like? Make note of |
| someone considered a subject matter expert | | | | the things you like and the things you hate, then |
| within your company) to provide the designer | | | | share your findings with your site designer. |
| with the content (text and photographs) that best | | | | Remember, you're not stealing trade secrets |
| conveys your company's message to your | | | | here. |
| customers. A Web site, no matter how well | | | | You're just borrowing ideas. |
| designed, is meaningless if it lacks the content | | | | |