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| Website Preparation |
Preparation Required Before Website Design
Creating Website Value From the Onset This page is the first in a 4 page mini-series on creating a valuable Internet presence. The other 3 pages; Design, Marketing & Maintenance are linked in the mini navigation bar above for your convenience. Unfortunately many Site owners stop at design and never realize the value in Maintenance and Marketing. In fact many Web Design companies never take the time required for Preparation. Preparing begins with Due-Diligence. Before an attorney approaches litigation or trial they or their assistants research every aspect of a case, laying the necessary groundwork. It simply stands to reason that there is no way to create value in any professional endeavor without a full understanding and appreciation of your client's goals and the hurdles. Before any website design can be done, on-line competitors must be reviewed and keywords researched. There are many shortcuts to web design, none of which have much of a chance developing a Valuable Internet Presence. These companies advertising an "on-line presence" beginning at $8.95" are pretty much the "slag" at the bottom of the barrel in our opinion. These advertisements often attract the unsuspecting business owner who has not taken the time to educate themselves on the current state of Internet Technology, Search Engine Algorithms, and on-line competition. We could also discuss the next level up... Web development by companies that discount websites using available templates (usually containing deprecated code that may or may not view properly in different browsers), requiring that the client do all copy writing so that they can slap text into a preformatted template. That just doesn't measure up, when you are looking for Internet value, branding and sales! Creating Website Value Through Preparation After meeting with a client and fully assessing their needs and gaining understanding of their business we go to work on a Competitive Analysis. How can you possibly create value for a client if you do not have an understanding of their competition? Preparation MUST include Competitive Analysis at different levels, or your targets and output are out of focus! Competitive Analysis in any marketing or advertising medium is absolute necessary in the value provision equation. Determine Your Website's Purpose This almost sounds ridiculous at first glance, but it is surprising just how many jumbled Sites you see that have very little continuity, if any. Many companies, especially startups have unfocused goals and plans. "To bring in as much business in as possible", is not a focused purpose. The Search Engines need "channeled" logic and your visitors need to be driven to actions aligned with specific business goals. Know Your Target Market Every demographic audience is different and to set an atmosphere conducive to success, the Site has to appeal to that audience. If you are selling music downloads to teenagers, use their jargon. If you are selling $100,000 widgets to a scientific community then the Site will have to have radically different appeal than the previous example. Define your target audience early in the game. Represent The Company or Corporate Character Well It's important to represent the owner's, company's or corporate character accurately. Many times the company character is forged around the products or services offered. Presentation tone is key to satisfying clients and attracting the targeted audience. Competitive Research - The Next Step, a Formative Element in the Value Equation! The Information is there and free... Do the Legwork! Competitive Analysis should start the moment you make initial contact with a prospective client. It's really not very difficult to:
These steps are absolutely necessary in preparation for any client that desires real website value in an online presence.
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