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