Many business owners want a web site right away. In fact, it sometimes appears that business owners who are unsure of where to start think that a web site is a great way to launch a business. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous web design companies prey on this myth by promising new companies the moon – as long as the companies are willing to spend thousands on a web site. The truth is that you are not ready for a web site if:
1) You don’t have a clear business plan. If you don’t understand your target audience, your business goals (long-term and short-term) and your company inside and out, you are not ready for a web site. You need to research your target audience and your Internet market before you spend a dollar on online marketing. A web site is not a replacement for a business plan – it is something that should work seamlessly with the plan you already have.
2) You don’t know anything about web design. Sure, the whole point of hiring a web design firm is that you let professionals handle the website. If you know nothing about web design yourself, though, how will you be able to effectively communicate with these professionals? How will you know what you want and what constitutes a good job? At minimum, research which web sites in your industry are considered top-notch and investigate them to find out why they work.
3) You don’t have a budget. Without a budget, you may end up overspending on your website. You might also end up paying too little to a company that does not deliver the quality of product you deserve. Both scenarios are far from perfect, so set a dollar amount on your web site now.
4) You have no conversion and traffic plan. It’s nice to have a well-designed and attractive web site, but if you have no visitors, you will not make a penny from your website. If you have lots of visitors but your content is not designed to make those visitors do business with you, you will also not make money. A business web site is unique and it requires traffic as well as a solid conversion strategy to turn visitors into paying customers. At Ciplex, we take your site’s success very seriously, which is why we offer our clients free basic training and a consultation to teach them everything needed to make a web site profitable. Contact us today if you are ready to take your business online – Ciplex can make your web presence a success!
