Web Site Tip of the Month - July/August '07

This Month's Tip - Where is Everyone?

Recently I had an email from a client who expressed some disappointment with the response from his new website. The website had been on the net for about 3 months and he was not getting the volume of sales that he wanted and expected. He had been talking with some friends (!) who proclaimed that websites were obsolete and that he needed to get himself a blog. What did I think he should do?

I've seen this before. Everyone has heard stories about the internet boom and how people got rich just by putting up a website and everyone came and maxed out their credit cards. They know the boom is long over but if they can just find the Next Hot Thing everyone will flock to them and they can just sit back and take the orders.

Oh, if only it were that easy. Then, we would all be millionaires. The bottom line is that there is no (legal) internet get rich quick scheme (I'm not going to discuss pyramid plans, Nigerian scams or other dubious practices). Anyone who has been in business a while knows a lot of different factors go into having a successful business. One of those factors can be your website. But it's important to be clear about what your website is and isn't.

A Website is NOT:

• The Next Hot Thing
• A way to get rich without doing anything
• Something you can throw on the web & forget
• Obsolete

A Website IS:

• A way for clients & potential clients to reach you
• Detailed advertising
• A place for customers to order your products
• A way to share information
• Your representative 24/7

Think of your website as part of your arsenal for your long-range goal of getting and keeping clients. Far from being obsolete, a website has become a standard. The questions people ask is not "Do you have a website?" but "What is your web address?" With more and more people turning to the web first, rather than the phone book, it's increasingly important to have a strong web presence.

Your website needs to have enough basic information for people to take that next step. Some things that I have mentioned in earlier articles include:

• Information about you
• Current information about what you are offering
• Contact information - including a way to reach you from the website itself (email or contact form)

So, now we've established that the website is still a viable source of contact between you and your (potential) customers. Next time I'll talk about some things to help give you a stronger web presence.

Remember, on the web, your web site is you

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