<p> </p>
<p>If you are planning to revamp your website, are creating one from scratch for your new company or have been assigned the task of a redesign from a higher up, here is some blunt advice that you need to hear in order for that website to be successful.</p>
<p><strong>1. You're Not as Clever as You Think</strong> - No matter how original you think your idea for a website-based business is, it probably has already been done before. I get a lot of calls from individuals that tell me of their great idea for a website thinking they are the first to have ever come up with the idea.</p>
<p>"Who are your competitors?" I might ask.</p>
<p>"No one else is doing this" is a typical response.</p>
<p>A quick Google search on their idea usually leads to an idea that is not so original after all. Make sure you know who your competitors are - you don't want to be blindsided by this after already investing time and money. </p>
<p>Now, just because somebody else has already claimed the turf first, this doesn't mean you should abandon your idea for a website. It is just important to know that like any business model, you're likely not the only one using it. Always expect to compete, not dominate.</p>
<p><strong>A Head in the Sky Can Lead to Cloudy Vision</strong> - If I had a penny for every time I heard the following line I'd have $2.59 (hey that's still a lot of pennies!):</p>
<p>"I want a site just like MySpace." Or "I want to be the next Amazon.com."</p>
<p>Ok, let's come back down to earth for a second and take a deep breathe...</p>
<p>Nothing is impossible, anyone can go from rags to riches, anyone can grow up to play for a national sports team, anyone can be the next winner on American Idol. But, you don't just build MySpace or Amazon.com or Ebay on a $2,000 budget and if you could it wouldn't just magically have the same success as any of those websites. When you are looking at a website, you are just viewing the surface of a company. There is years of ongoing website development on those sites. There is a large amount of capital investment. There are many strategic partnerships in play. There is a marketing effort that is massive in size. There is a staff of thousands behind the scenes.</p>
<p>Be honest with yourself as to whether your goals for your website are inline with what's right for your business and then be realistic with the resources you currently have - you build from the ground up, not from the sky down.</p>
<p><strong>What's the Plan, Stan</strong> - Ok, you have a great idea for a website. Maybe it is a new business that will strictly be web-based as well. What is your business plan?</p>
<p>A common area where I see short-comings in a business's chance for success online is when e-commerce is involved and there is no plan beyond the build-out process. Managing an e-commerce website is the most time-consuming website to have. There are many manual processes that will consume your time. Marketing the website is critical and requires a healthy budget. Orders have to be managed and products shipped. Data for accounting, taxes and inventory is always updating. </p>
<p>Just like a traditional brick and mortar company, you need to know what your profit margin will be, what your marketing expense will be and what your staff requirements will be as your company grows. Create a full-fledged business plan before starting a website.</p>
<p><strong>IT Departments Still Aren't Marketing Departments</strong> - This tip applies to larger corporations. </p>
<p>Which of the following items would you consider as marketing tools for your company:</p>
<ol>
<li>Billboard</li>
<li>Radio Ad</li>
<li>Newspaper Ad</li>
<li>Yellow Page Ad</li>
<li>Magazine Ad</li>
<li>Press Release</li>
<li>Website</li>
<li>All of the above</li>
</ol>
<p>You picked "All of the above", right? Now which one of the above is being handled by your IT department? </p>
<p>You wouldn't ask your IT department to create a radio jingle, so why are you letting them design your website? </p>
<p>And for those in IT - you won't diminish your job security by letting go of your company's website reigns, if anything you'll help it by allowing yourself to focus on what you do best - IT. And your co-workers just might thank you too!</p>
<p><strong>Your Website is Not For You</strong> - Too many business owners get caught in the trap of making a website something that they like as opposed to researching what type of site will best convert visitors into buying customers. I commonly hear "I want" this or "I want" that without having answers to how a customer might perceive those things. I'm not saying the site shouldn't be an online reflection of your business - it should, and it should be appropriately branded - but, site usability, content displayed and specific features added should be geared towards your client's likes and dislikes.</p>
<p>The site is a sales tool, and like all sales tools and marketing messages it can be refined and tweaked to better convert customers. The only way to refine your marketing materials is to step back from being emotionally involved and look at your material from a strictly analytical view.</p>
<p>If your site is not a sales tool but provides a service itself, such as a membership-based site, then you need to be even more aware of your customer's wants and needs because with websites, you always have stiff competition that will try and woo your client base with features specifically tailored to them.</p>
<p>Regardless of your site, stay in communication with your customers and solicit feedback from them on their impressions of the site. Ask them want they like, what they don't like, what they wish the site had and what they would change about it. Visit your competitor's websites to stay on top of new features they add. Keep track of your website traffic stats to monitor changes in traffic as you tweak your online message.</p>
<p><strong>Design by Committee, Causes Much Pity</strong> - No matter how optimistically it is presented, no matter how often it is mentioned that "everyone's onboard" and no matter how much you want to believe it will work for the better, design by committee is a process that delays the completion of a website that in the end, no one involved will be happy with.</p>
<p>I have seen this situation play out countless times on website development projects throughout the years. When a committee is involved everyone has to compromise to some degree yet no one wants to. Someone has to sign off on design work yet no one is willing to do so until everyone is in agreement. Someone has to direct the design team and provide timely feedback yet no one wants do so independently without scheduling a committee meeting that allows gets pushed back.</p>
<p>Everyday, sites with a single point of contact move quickly through the system. There is less spreading out of the information that is shared, so consultations have more impact. Impromptu meetings can occur on a moments notice. Feedback is immediate. All involved in the project stay engaged from start to finish.</p>
<p>Don't let your website development project become a burden and use your committee as an excuse to procrastinate until later - have a single point of contact for your website that is committed to it's delivery.</p>
<p><strong>In Summary</strong> - Much of the advice above is pretty blunt, but it addresses some of the common trappings that can keep your business from succeeding online.</p>
<p> </p>
2009-02-01T01:46:51Z
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blunt-advice-for-a-successful-website
33
2009-02-02T15:10:06Z
2009-02-02T15:10:06Z
The following advice is pretty blunt, but it addresses some of the common trappings that can keep your business from succeeding online.
Blunt Advice for a Successful Website
0
2009-02-24T09:49:01Z