So...You went and got yourself a pretty website.

by Michael Bemis

Why are you so disappointed?

Disappointment is a common theme amongst web site owners. But, why?

It has to do with changing expectations.

New business or businesses new to the web tend to approach the medium with an attitude that says “We need a web presence. Now!” We want something we can point to that represents us. We’re on the Web!

This realization is usually followed by weeks, more often months of struggling with development of the site. Finally, at long last it appears on the web. A miracle! We’re on the web.

Slowly, over some period of time, it begins to dawn on you that unless you actually point someone to the site, no one is visiting it. Disappointment sets in…the web isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. No one visits, we don’t get business from it.

What’s wrong?
Your expectations have changed. You no longer want a presence on the web, you want more. Therein lies the issue.

Few people actually sit down in advance and develop a plan that details what they expect from their site. They don’t think about what messages to convey or in what order. Few think of how they might want to interact with visitors. Fewer still actually consider that a web site might actually be a working business asset , a tool that gathers information, is able to regularly display fresh information, automatically manages contacts and disseminates information to those contacts with ease.

Not all is lost. Winston Churchill said it best, “Failure is never fatal, success is never permanent.” Change is inevitable, in our lives, our businesses and in the way we represent ourselves and our products and services to the world.

Here are four important points to help you be more successful in your web endeavors.
Keep in mind that that the web is a truly unique advertising medium, this so because most of the visitors to your web site are actively seeking to buy what you have to offer. That means:
A. They need to find you from among the millions of sites on the web.
B. You need to grab their attention in the first ten seconds.
C. You need to show them that you have what they are seeking
D. You need to demonstrate Why your are the most qualified to serve their needs.

In that order.

Keep these four points in mind, find someone competent to help you build something that is more than just pretty and you’ll be on your way to success!