Buying a Website For Business & Why Most Fail

Time:2010-03-11 19:05:24 Source:Ezinearticles Author:Marcus J Miller

We are going to take a look at what successful websites do and how they work and then compare this with what you look at when you buy or build or a website for your business. Once you understand the difference in what internet users want and what your site provides then you will be well on your way to tapping into the potential of the internet for business websites.

Buying Products & Services Online

The path to purchasing a new product or on the internet rarely starts out with a direct visit to a site to make that purchase. The web allows people to browse like never before and without that snotty salesman getting in your face and coercing you into a purchase before you are 100% ready.

Lets assume you sell blue widgets. Your prospective customer may first start to learn more about widgets and may search for 'best blue widgets'. They will then visit sites and read up on what the best widget to purchase is.

Once they have decided on the exact widget they may start searching for 'widget companies', 'buy widgets online', 'widget supplier in (my home town)' - you get the picture.

Your website is boring

Most websites get it totally wrong. This is not your fault, and from some perspectives it is not the fault of the company you use to build your site. After all, how did you select your website design company? Price? how pretty the other sites they have done are?

its not your fault

Many (if not most) web design companies are graphic design houses or traditional marketing businesses that have had to move into the digital age and start providing website design and development. The problem here is that they know little about the strategy needed to turn a nice looking site into a money making juggernaut for your business.

A little strategy goes a long way

For any website to succeed you must first identify the informational requirements of your customers. If you sell blue widgets what questions are people asking you before they make a purchase? Does your website answer the questions? If not, why not?

Your knowledge of your business is what builds your credibility and helps convince people to do business with you. By answering the questions your users ask you can start a relationship with them before they buy, start building your own reputation and establishing that all important credibility.

If the answers you need to provide are long and varied then you have a chance to exchange these answers for an email address or contact details that you can use to deliver the information. You then have a pre qualified prospect that you can continue to nudge with useful information to help walk them towards your checkout.

Content is King, Marketing is Queen

Most small businesses do not have a clue how to use the web yet in most cases a little strategy goes a long way. Any website design for business should also include a strategy consultation, guidelines for the content you need to develop, the website design, a tool enabling you to manage update the content on the website and the marketing and promotion to start bringing prospective customers your way (seo, social media) and a tool for you to contact your site visitors and help turn prospects into punters.

Problem is, most design companies are not going to provide this. You will likely get a nice looking site, with a homepage, a contact us page, an about us page (yawn) and all the standard (boring) pages that everyone else has got.

Web users are looking for answers, provide those answers, engage your visitors and you are already doing much more than your competitors. If you can also gather contact details and start a two way communication with site visitors then you can blow your competition out of the water.

A Different Approach to Website Design

When looking for a website design company you should take the following into consideration:

1. Is there any kind of strategy consultation

2. Do you help determine what content we need on the site

3. Do we get a content management system

4. Is there a tool to gather, manage and email your prospects

5. How is the site going to be promoted to build traffic

6. What opportunities exist within social media

A successful website needs to be closely aligned to your business objectives and should promote your knowledge of the industry you work in. If you don't strive for these goals when you purchase a website you are throwing your money away - plain and simple.

You should be able to purchase an affordable website package that provides the strategy and tools needed to make the website a success and you should not have to pay the earth for this.

*Most website design companies are useless*

So, remember, most website design companies are pretty useless. They may talk the talk and build you something that looks good but will it win you any customers? Not likely.

A Better Way

Bowler Hat is currently promoting a new and powerful website product that combines consultation, strategy, website design, a content management system, email marketing, search engine optimisation and social media marketing for only £1000.00 - this is strictly limited to ten customers a month. Visit Bowler Hat Solutions or email marcus@bowlerhatsolutions.co.uk for more details.

Marcus Miller is the owner of Bowler Hat Solutions and provides a range of affordable website design and websites for business of all shapes and sizes throughout the UK.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_J_Miller

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