Before you build your website...

Before you even start thinking about domain names, hosting and website design you need to think about your online marketing strategy. It’s rather like thinking about the foundations before you pick out the curtains.

Before you pick up the phone and call a web design team have a think about the following points because your web designer will be asking you for the answers. Of course, if they don’t ask these questions, then the only question you need to be asking yourself is ‘Are they really able to create an effective online marketing presence for my business if they know nothing about it?’

1) Who is your overall objective?
Are you looking for a brochure website that you will guide people to from other forms of marketing, are you looking for your website to work for you and find you new customers or are you looking to expand the range of products or markets that you currently serve?

2) Who is your target market?
Whatever your objective, you need to know the profile of the customers before you can begin to find them. Identifying the profile of your current clients is often a good place to start, as is looking at the nature, the ethos and the values of your business. Attracting new customers that share the same values as your business will nurture longer, more profitable client relationships and a much shorter, simpler and cost effective sales process.

3) What does a visitor expect from your site?
Perhaps the hardest question but certainly one of the most important: are visitors looking to make a quick & easy purchase or are they there for information? Are they interested in price, or in value, in service or in your authority in your industry?

For help answering these questions, it is often worth having a look at an industry leader and seeing where they put their focus (of course it doesn’t mean you have to or even should copy it). Industry online forums are also useful places to visit to see what is being said by customers – what they like and what gets their backs up about companies in your sector. Try typing your industry keywords into Google followed by the word “problem” or “complaint” and see what comes up; it is a real marketable asset if you can use this information within your products or services.

4) What do you want the visitor to leave with?
When your new website is attracting potential customers in their droves, what is the one thing that the customer should do that will have made the process and investment worthwhile? Should they make an online purchase, pick up the phone, subscribe to a newsletter or download some kind of free content?

Now you know what you want them to do, you have to tell them to do it by creating positive and compelling calls to action. People like to be led, told what to do next and guided to take action. Leave them sitting there with no direction and they will quickly wander away from your website having taken no action whatsoever.

5) Why should a visitor return to your site?
What is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP); the thing that only you have, only you do or only you offer that your competitors don’t? What will make your visitors come back, or recommend you to their friends?

Your USP should be prominent: you may know why you are the best but how will potential customers know?

Now you have answered these questions, you are a lot closer to being able to pick out colours and decide about logo placement.

Any web design company that doesn’t ask you these very important questions is missing the point. Your website is likely to be your most important and visible marketing asset and your first impression. Marketing is about knowing your customers, knowing your business and bringing the two together.

It’s more than just an eye catching design and some pretty pictures.

A website that looks good but doesn’t bring in any business is expensive however cheap it may look from the outset.

An online marketing presence that is focused on generating business and provides a positive return on your investment is value for money whichever way you look at it.
Choose carefully.

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At Net Potential, not only do we combine decades of expertise in sales and marketing with proven technical and creative Web design & SEO skills, but we are also quite a nice bunch of people!

To prove it, send us an email with your website address and we will send you a free marketing report for your website.