Defining Your Needs

Your website is only as good as the value it brings to your business. Whether you are looking to increase sales, promote a service, or educate your visitors, your website should make your life easier by conveying as much information to your clients as possible without wasting their time or yours.

There are a number of very important factors that you should consider when starting a new business and/or website:

Budget

One of the most important factors, of course, is your budget. How much are you willing to commit to advertising and promoting your business? A lot of times, small businesses can get away with very small advertising budgets and sometimes you may not need much of a budget at all. Keep in mind that “budget” doesn’t always mean strictly cash input, it can be dependent on other factors like how much time and effort you can or are comfortable with putting into promoting your business yourself.

Market

Most online advertising is driven by a pay-per-click model, meaning if you want to attract attention you will have to pay more or less depending on how competitive your market is. For example, driving traffic nationally to an online store that sells shoes will take more of a budget than promoting that same search on a state-wide or local level or than promoting a market that is less competitive or more specialized.

Purpose

Informational or promotional websites tend to require less promotion than sales driven sites, so it is important to consider the purpose of your site when developing a marketing strategy. One of the biggest mistakes that companies make in their marketing strategy is investing too much (time, effort, money) into strategies that don’t produce results. Another is not going after the “low hanging fruit” that is much easier to get even if it isn’t the most productive avenue you have, sometimes there is a lot of value in taking advantage of easy opportunities where you can.

Audience

It is extremely important to get to know your target audience. Who are they? What are they looking for and how do they expect to find it? Maybe they don’t even know what they want and it’s your goal to tell them. Defining your audience can dictate how you communicate with them and how they will respond to different types of interactions.

Goals

What do you want from your site? Where do you want it to go? Considering future goals or even possibilities can be a powerful influence on the way your website is put together and how it evolves over time.

Maintenance

All websites require some degree of maintenance. Whether you are looking to write and post articles to bring in new viewers or if you want the most low-maintenance solution possible, there are a variety of tools and methods that are available to accomplish your goals.

Request a free consultation today and let us help you determine what type of website will do the most for your business.