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Website Design Considerations
: Should I build and important things like, oh I don't
maintain my business Web know, say running your business?
site myself or pay someone If your answers were no and yes,
else to do the work for me? -- respectively, then you have no
Wesley L. business building and maintain a
Web site.
A: When you say, pay someone else
to do the work for you, Wesley, I Remember this: every minute you
am going to assume that you are spend on tasks that are not
talking about hiring a related to the key focus of your
professional Web site designer to business is time spent to the
do the work and not your detriment of your business. In
next-door neighbor's teenage son. other words, every minute you
If my assumption is correct, then spend focusing on tasks that do
read on. If not, go ahead and not contribute to the growth of
surf on over to Dilbert.com. You your business and thereby
will get no good out of the increase your bottom line is time
advice I'm about to give, so you wasted.
might as well consult Dilbert for
your hot business tips. If you want to be a web designer,
be a web designer. However, if
Should you build and maintain the key focus of your business is
your business Web site yourself building widgets, it doesn't take
or pay someone to do it for you? a rocket scientist to figure out
Let me answer your question with that your time would be better
a couple of my own. Number one: spent building widgets, not Web
is building and maintaining Web sites.
sites the key focus of your
business? Number two: could your Case in point: I once had a very
time be better spent doing more wealthy dentist ask if I could
teach him how to maintain his Web your investment. You can't say
site so he wouldn't have to pay that about too many other
me to do it. Now my teeth had collaterals. While it is best to
helped put this guy's kids leave Web site design and
through college, but that didn't maintenance to the experts, it is
seem to matter. At that moment he up to you (or someone considered
was more concerned about having a subject matter expert within
to pay for changes to his Web our company) to provide the
site than my personal oral designer with the content (text
hygiene. Sure, I said, I'll be and photographs) that best
glad to teach you how to update conveys your company's message to
your Web site, just as soon as your customers. A Web site, no
you teach me how to clean my own matter how well designed, is
teeth so I don't have to pay you meaningless if it lacks the
to do it. He got the point. And content required to interest
he charged me enough for the customers in the products you
cleaning to keep his site updated sell or services you provide.
for months. Smart man.
Here's are a few questions that,
Many business owners think they once answered, will help ensure
can't afford a professionally that your Web site's message is
designed Web site and that simply as appealing as its design. Go
is not true. While the old adage, over these points with the
"you get what you pay for" is designer before the design
never more true than when applied process begins as the answers
to Web site design, having a will help determine the direction
professional web designer do the your Web site's design should
work for you is money well spent. take.
A well-designed Web site can
bring you a many-fold return on What Is The Purpose Of Your Web
Site? Most business Web sites its products or services is a
have two purposes: (1) to educate member of your target audience.
the consumer and, (2) to sell Correctly identifying your target
them products or services. If you audience is vital since your Web
sell shoes, for example, the site should be designed
purpose of your Web site is to specifically to appeal to your
educate potential customers on target audience.
the quality and durability of
your shoes and as a result, to Put yourself in their shoes (or
sell them shoes. If you paint in front of their computers).
houses the purpose of your Web Imagine your Web site through
site is to educate home owners on their eyes. If you were visiting
why your services are superior to a Web site such as yours what
other painters and sell them on would you expect to find and what
hiring you to paint their house. would you be disappointed not to
By defining the purpose of your find? Identify your target
Web site you will give the audience, then have your Web site
designer the information required designed to fulfill their needs
to create a Web site that best and surpass their xpectations.
conveys that purpose to your
target audience. What Content Should My Web Site
Feature? Your Web site content
Who Is My Target Audience? Your should be driven by the nature of
target audience consists of those your business. If you're a real
folks you want to attract to your estate agent, your site should
Web site: potential and current feature photographs of homes you
customers, future and current have for sale and information on
employees, possible investors, buying and selling a home. If you
etc. Anyone who might be own an auto body shop, your site
interested in your company and might feature before and after
photographs of cars that you have a result, selling products? What
repaired. Remember to determine do you like about their Web
the purpose of your site, then sites? What don't you like? Make
develop the content to serve that note of the things you like and
purpose. the things you hate, then share
your findings with your site
What's My Competition Doing? The designer.
last question you should ask is
one of the most important: What Remember, you're not stealing
is your competition doing on the trade secrets here.
Web? Do a Google search for
similar businesses and click You're just borrowing ideas.
around their Web sites. How are
their Web sites designed? What Here's to your success.
message are they trying to
convey? Are they doing a good job Tim Knox
of conveying that message and as
About the Author:
Tim serves as the president and CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs.
Related Links:
http://www.prosperityandprofits.com
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net
Read more articles by: Tim Knox
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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