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