| Here are the five most common mistakes you | | | | etc. The exact approach you need to take |
| must avoid. | | | | depends on your objectives, how your target |
| 1.Not making idea’s / Lack of idea’s | | | | audience looks for what you sell, your budget, |
| Without a complete plan to kick things off, what | | | | your industry, etc. |
| are you building? It's kind of like showing up at the | | | | 4.Not evaluating the results |
| airport one day and saying, "I'm going on a | | | | So, how did you do? You built a great web site |
| vacation." Where are you going? Where will you | | | | and marketed the heck out of it. How many |
| stay when you get there? How long will you go | | | | people came to your site? How many became |
| for? Can you afford it? Did you ask your boss | | | | leads? How many leads did you turn into |
| for the time off? Did you shut off the oven? | | | | customers? How much were they worth? What |
| To create, figure out what you want the benefits | | | | content did your visitors like and not like? {Insert |
| of your website to be. Forget about the bells and | | | | your own redundant questions here} |
| whistles required to make it happen; that's the job | | | | Just like any marketing entrepreneur, you must |
| of your web designer. Establish what you want | | | | determine the results in order to find out if it was |
| your website do for your business. Some | | | | successful. I'm talking about things like: |
| examples: create guidance, sell your products | | | | A tracking plan. Your leads might call you instead |
| services right on the website, lack of managerial | | | | of buying online or using your contact form. You |
| decision, trademark your company, pre-qualify | | | | need a plan to track them, and how they found |
| prospects, recruit employees – the things a | | | | you. If you're running offline marketing campaigns, |
| website can do for your company are practically | | | | setup a separate domain name, create a unique |
| vast. Create your Targets and make sure that | | | | web page, or use a separate 800 number. Online |
| you and your web designer understand them fully. | | | | forms specific to a marketing campaign can be |
| 2.Ignoring your customers | | | | really useful as well. |
| We're talking about your messaging here. It's so | | | | Statistics and reporting. Good statistics can tell |
| easy to write your content from an internal | | | | you a lot about how people use your website. |
| perspective. What you want to say, what you | | | | Google Analytics is a wonderful package, easy to |
| think is compelling, what you think matters. What | | | | install, and totally free. More than this, you need |
| about your customers? Don't forget that you | | | | to understand the numbers, and draw conclusions. |
| need to convince them to do business with you. | | | | This takes quite a lot of practice and |
| The key to writing good, customer-centric | | | | understanding. A professional web design or |
| content is to understand the "why". Why should | | | | marketing company can help you with this. |
| your customers buy from you? You might think | | | | Adapt. Use your results, don't just read them. |
| you know, but a good dose of objective research | | | | This will invariably require consulting with an expert |
| will uncover the truth. Capitalize on your unique | | | | again, but you need to act on your results to |
| selling proposition from the perspective of how it | | | | improve them. This is an on-going process. |
| benefits your customers. | | | | Forever. |
| You will also need to use proper web style in your | | | | 5. Getting Paralyzed |
| writing. Your content should be well organized, | | | | A lot of web design projects never see the light |
| highly scannable, easy to digest, and to the point. | | | | of day because they get mired down in perpetual |
| If you can organize it in a "pyramid" style, even | | | | planning. There comes a time when you need to |
| better. This is where the most important, | | | | act. You won't get it perfect the first time out (or |
| compelling information is presented first, and | | | | ever), but you've got to move. If you aim, re-aim |
| deeper information follows (such as technical | | | | and re-aim forever, you'll never actually get off a |
| specifications). Depending on your strengths this | | | | shot. Aim – shoot – repeat. |
| may be difficult for you to produce, so you may | | | | A rapidly warning: I'm not telling you to put up a |
| consider hiring a professional writer or copywriter. | | | | poorly written and poorly constructed web site |
| 3.Not recall the selling | | | | just to have something; that can be very |
| There is an old Kevin Costner baseball movie that | | | | dangerous. A bad website can turn customers |
| has an analogy that is so clichéd I simply cannot | | | | away and, even worse, have them poison your |
| bring myself to repeat it. In the kingdom of | | | | business through negative word of mouth. What I |
| baseball and the afterlife it may be true, but in | | | | am telling you to do is to not get paralyzed trying |
| the world of the web, it sure ain't. When your | | | | to perfect your plan. Hiring the right team of |
| website is built, it is an island; and a deserted one | | | | experts can get you on track, and get things |
| at that. Your customers don't know about it and | | | | moving. |
| neither do the search engines. You need to tell | | | | Hopefully this article helps steer you away from |
| them. You need to market your website. | | | | the most common (and dangerous) pitfalls of web |
| Getting your website noticed by the right people | | | | design. Whether you hire a professional, create |
| is key. You're not actually marketing to search | | | | your site internally, or do it on your own from |
| engines here. Search engines are simply a means | | | | start to finish, keep these tips in mind. |
| to an end. You need to market to your | | | | Conclusion |
| customers. You must understand that your | | | | By avoiding these five common mistakes you can |
| customers use different online methods to find | | | | ensure that your website has a fighting chance. |
| what you sell; and this most likely includes search | | | | Let this article serve as a map so you can avoid, |
| engines. | | | | at a minimum, some of the bigger and more |
| You may also consider newsletter advertising, | | | | costly detours. |
| email advertising, PR campaigns, social networking, | | | | |