Three Things To Do Before You Build Your Website
Written on August 3, 2011 by admin
1. Choose Your Keywords Wisely - Just because you built a website does not mean you’re going to come up in Google. The best recommendation I can make in regards to choosing keywords is a long-tail strategy. Choose the keywords your competitors are not optimizing for. There are plenty of search terms out there to get your website ranking for. Make sure you talk to someone who can help you identify the keywords to optimize your site for before you get knee-deep in design and development.
2. Qualify Your Web Design Team - Make sure you don’t simply pick a designer within your budget. In fact a lot can go wrong simply because you did not invest in a knowledgeable, experienced and reputable web design team. Know what questions to ask prospective design firms in advance and avoid selecting a designer if they do not offer professional-looking, custom design, SEO-friendly coding and navigation and some suggestions in regards to marketing your site. There are too many design firms out there that can help you with design, development and marketing, do not sell yourself short selecting a cheap, inexperienced designer simply because your budget is forcing you to. Make sure you consult with a professional in regards to qualifying your design team before you select one.
3. Have a Marketing Strategy – You just spent a lot of your advertising budget building a sweet website but what happens if you fail to market it? Most businesses launch a site with the hope of it getting listed on the first page of Google search listings. Make sure you have a clear vision of where you want the site to be and how you’re going to get it there before you build a website. If you don’t, chances are the site will sit there in obscurity until you get that marketing plan in place.
Remember, you need to put yourself in the shoes of the prospect looking for your services online. Make sure you know what they are searching and how to get your site ranking for those search terms before you spend lots of resources building your website.
When you know who you’re trying to reach approach reputable, knowledgeable and professional web design firms and do not settle on a provider until you know they can help you reach those potential customers.
And finally, make sure you’re ready to market the website after you build it. If you’ve only thought it through to building the website, put some more time into what you’re going to do with the site once it is up. Otherwise you might as well be handing out business cards because no one will find your website unless you tell them about it personally.
