Planning your website to increase traffic, gain new customers, increase profits and reach your target audience in easy steps with measurable results.
Before asking a web designer or developer to build your website careful planning will increase your success online. I suggest that a potential client should write down the goals they wish to attain. Many websites fail due to lack of planning.
By creating a written plan you will be clear on your goals and be able to review your progress. Some web designers are interested in creating an attractive web site that increases their portfolio value. ATM Multimedia believes in attractive web design, but we are more interested in creating web sites that have a strong presence on the Internet. Our priorities are to offer practical advice for start-up websites.
Your website goals
The most important question with website planning is “what is the purpose of the website?”
Here are some examples:
- To generate new customers to your business
- To make people aware of your local martial arts club
- To promote a local music festival
- To teach people basic Spanish
- To make enough money selling musical instruments, that you can quit your day job
Once you have written your website goals on a sheet of paper now you can focus on your target audience. The power of goal setting will keep you motivated on reach your goal. If other people are working on the same project, they may have different goals. By having a written goal everyone is aiming at the same target.
Your target audience
Many websites fail because they are not aimed at the target audience. Your target audience is interested in good, high quality content. If I am selling rock climbing equipment I will need to find as much information as possible.
One of the best methods is ask people that are interested in rock climbing. If you offer information that is good, relevant content your target audience people your website will become more valuable.
Here are some questions you should ask about your target audience:
- What kinds of jobs do they have?
- Is your audience male, female or both?
- You old are they?
- How much do they use the Internet?
- What websites do they look at?
- What types of newspapers and magazines do they read?
- What to does your target audience do in their spare time?
- Where do they live?
- What websites do they use?
The information you have regarding your target audience, the more promotional power your website will have letter on. Your target audience want the best content available. If you can not supply high quality content then your audience will look elsewhere.
Your website must be focused on your goals. The purpose of your website is to get the visitor, potential customer or client to take action. Your goal maybe to persuade visitors to buy a product, send an e-mail, play a game, vote or make a phone call.
If you have a business website you will need to target a certain niche. Think of all the methods of networking, promotion and marketing you can apply to your website. Your competition may have a blog, to generate new readers, a monthly newsletter where people subscribe to an opt-in list for free content, an RSS feed that updates information, a free video or a free report.
Other Competitors
The internet is excellent for free market research. If I am creating a website on rock climbing, I’d type the keyword “rock climbing” into Google. All results on the first page of Google are the most popular and relevant to the term “rock climbing”. The first page of results will be the most traffic, visits and profits, because of their high ranking in Google.
You have a great advantage to see what your competitors are doing. You can improve on the work of your competitors in order to stand out from the crowd.
Review the competitor’s websites and answer the following questions:
- Is it obvious what the site is about?
- Is the website easy to navigate?
- Is there any free content such as: articles, blogs, photos, newsletters, videos, forum, polls, pod cast, RSS feed, a free tool and a free log-in area?
- Is the website covered with banners, adverts, Google Adwords?
- Is there a shopping cart? Is there product reviews?
- Is there anywhere that visitors can comment on content such as a guestbook?
- Is there any expert advice on places to go rock climbing?
- How often is the website updated?
- Is the website easy to read?
- Can visitors use any social bookmarking? Such as add to Google, Digg or Yahoo?
- Does the website have a directions page to their business location?
- Does the website have a live chat feature?
- Does the website use Flash?
- Does the website have a frequently asked questions page?
- Is the website fast loading?
- Is there anything you really like about the website?
- Is there anything you could improve on?
- Is there anything that you don’t like?
- Is there anything that is missing?
- Is there a help section?
- Is there a search function?
- Is there a site map?
Reviewing competitor’s websites is to generate new creative ways to beat your competition. You also need to understand what the current competition is. It’s like going into a battle with no weapons. Be ahead of your competition.
Do not copy your competitor’s ideas become inspired. Copying your competitor’s content will get you penalised by Google and you will be breaking copyright law. Google rewards unique information and punishes copied content.
There is much more to building than the design. Website planning is vital in order to meet your target audience. ATM Multimedia specialise in web design, marketing and promotion. Solid foundations are needed to support a successful website.
1. Outline your goals
2. Research your target audience
3. Review your competition
