Web Training Getting Started Guide
Before you get a website.....
A Website is Just the beginning......
Most people think that once they have a website for their business they have got it made! WRONG, getting a website is just the beginning when creating an effective online business presence.
So what else do you need to do?
Here are some hints and tips on building an effective online presence.
Hints and Tips on Developing your Online Presence
Here are some important consideration to think about before you get a website.
Important!
Your website represents your business in the online world! DON'T Neglect it!
Make sure it represents you professionally!
That being said, so many business owners treat their website as a "set and forget" secondary consideration, leaving outdated information and poorly constructed content on their sites and then wonder why their website cost them money and doesn't generate any business for them.
These days most potential customers will investigate your business online before contacting you. If your website looks unprofessional or is difficult to get to information they are looking for, chances are they will NEVER bother to contact you.
Find out what steps you need to take when developing an effective website....
Creating your Plan
Like any business venture your website should have a plan, this doesn't have to be an elaborate business plan that you would take to a bank for finance, but a plan outlining your online objectives.
Let's have a look at an example
Let's say are you planning to sell product from your site.
You would first need to identify the types of products you are going to sell and then categories them into product groups e.g. Books, DVD's. These can then be further broken down into sub categories like training guides, self help, marketing etc...
Don't forget to research your competition, this is very important as your competition will give you some guidance on how they have structured the content on their site and also keywords and copy writing styles. Check out the first 10 search results for each or your product categories, these guys are coming up on the first page of the google search results for a reason!
Once you have established the content you want to include on your site you then need to create a budget, this step is very important as there is no point in trying to become the next Amazon.com if you only have $1,000 to spend. However, in having said this, there are ways to build you business on a shoestring budget based on staged development. This will require you to focus on what are the most IMPORTANT aspects of your site development that will raise revenue from the site. So next we will have a look at what you need to budget for including one off and ongoing costs for your online business.
In creating your budget you should allocate funds for the following components;
- Domain Name registration - Your www.MyWebsiteName.com, generally this is an annual cost depending upon the domain extension eg. .com - 12 months or .com.au - 2 year registration.
Check to see if your domain name is available here.
- Site Design - One off Cost
- Copy writing & artwork - This includes images for the site, flash animations, if required and written content for your site
- Shopping Cart - If you are going to sell products from your website, the cost of the shopping cart development can vary dramatically. For example for a simple online shop with between 1 to 10 products we charge $495.00. However, depending which website developer you use, this price may vary dramatically. The other influencing factors are the number of products that you want to sell and the technical sophistication required from the shopping cart such as inventory tracking as an example.
- Merchant Fees and setup costs - For a simple shopping cart and for those that are just starting out we recommend PayPal as there are no setup fees nor any ongoing monthly charges for the service and PayPal provides a secure shopping and order tracking system.
- Site Hosting - Annual Cost variable depending upon the hosting provider selected
- Online Marketing Budget - Here you will need to allocate funds for the ongoing promotion of your website. This is very important for online businesses to have an Online marketing strategy, whether it be email marketing, Pay per Click Advertising, social media marketing or what ever the marketing focus may be.
These are just some starting hints and tips if you would like more detailed information on how to plan your website please fill in the form below and we will email you the "Getting Started with your Website" instructional guide.
