Planning A Website: Defining the goals for your business site

What do you want your website to do?

Now it’s your turn.

Any business should know ‘What’ they want to achieve ... and if they don’t then why are they in business?

Your website can help you to achieve your business goals.

 

What are your business goals?

Websites can do many different things but you need to define what your business needs from its website:

• Showcase your products or services
• List your business hours
• Inform visitors – showing your expertise, unique selling points etc
• Answer questions – be your business’s 24 hour information service
• Sell stuff & take orders – offering customers the ability to buy on line
• Connect people – forums, message boards and directories

 

Even the simplest 1 page website can be effective for your business and help to bring in new customers.

 

Time to start thinking about what you want your website to achieve both now and in the long term.

Download the Web Coach planning crib sheet to start defining those ideas.

 

Thinking about this will help you to plan the sections of the website and the content that will be in each section.

 

What do you want your website to do?

Customer Enquiries

Start by considering what your customers ask you when they call up.

Often they have questions about your service:

• How much do you charge?
• Where can I buy your products?
• What hours do you open?
• Where are you?
• How do I pay?
• What is.....?
• Is this product or service right for me?
• What other work have you done and can I see it?

 

A website is a great way of having a 24 hour information giving service that doesn't cost you time, in answering calls or money in the time taken to answer the calls.

• Customers can get information 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
• Customers don't feel intimidated that they might be obliged to sign up or agree to something because they don't have to speak to anyone initially.
• Customers can find you as they browse on their work computers or surf on their mobile devices.

 

Marketing

Traditional printed brochures can be very effective at marketing your business but they can also be very expensive too.

Websites are great for marketing your business, they can act as an on line brochure giving customers far more information on your products and services than traditional brochures ever could.

Websites can also offer things that traditional printed brochures can't: Video, Audio and other visual devices that can grab attention and encourage the visitor to take action.

 

Traditional brochures, even simple ones, cost money to print and distribute.

Online websites can cost a fraction to give the same information and, if well optimised, can reach your target market more accurately.

 

Traditional brochures start to date as soon as they are printed. dates, prices, products, recent success stories in your portfolio can all change but reprinting every time you have a change to make could cost a fortune.

Websites can be quickly updated as your business details change. New pictures can be added and new products, services and client endorsements can be added keeping your marketing fresh and up to date.

Remember that the Web Coach content management function gives you the ability to update the website yourself, anytime.

 

Selling & Taking Orders

Websites are a great choice for those with products or services to sell.

Displaying your physical products with images and descriptions and using an online shopping cart you can open up your very own shop without the cost of finding premises or other shops to sell your goods.

 

Those with electronic products such as music, pictures, videos, ebooks or other virtual electronic products can sell and give their customers instant downloads for greater customer satisfaction.

 

Those who offer consultations, courses, training or other services can take payments or allow customers to sign up using an on line payment service like PayPal thus giving the added advantage of accepting credit cards without having to set up credit card agreements with any of the credit companies.

 

Time to start thinking about what you want your website to achieve both now and in the long term.

Download the Web Coach planning crib sheet to start defining those ideas.

 

Take the next step, time to read about the most important words you will ever use on your website, Keywords.

 

Call us to set up your initial consultation: 07941 22 75 96

Web Coach: We know you're running a business not a website!