Before You Build a Website: Basic Considerations

So, you've decided you need a website. Have you thought about the little things that will make your website work for your customers? After you read this article, I guarantee you will be more focused and make a wise decision in creating a website that works best for your visitors.

Who is your target audience?

Knowing your target audience is extremely important and is basic for building any business. It's a lot like building a child care center. You want the environment to be "customized" for the kids. You want to add a small playground, a colorful classroom with a lot of toys, and plenty of room for kids to run around. In the same way, when you build a website, your target audience should feel at home browsing through your webpages. A great web design has a lot of impact on getting customers to enjoy looking at what you have to offer as well as coming back to visit your online store again.

What are your goals for your website?

Do you really need a website? If you're convinced, then you should know why. It's not just trying to jump on the Internet bandwagon and being part of the "in" crowd. Some businesses simply do not need a website. Others need an online presence, because this is the only way their potential customers can learn about their business. If you type a business name, for example, on Google, the search engine will come up with businesses that have registered at Google Place Pages, sort of like Google's very own yellow pages guide, with map directions. If you're not listed there, then your customers know nothing about you. Those who are listed, however, have a tremendous chance of being discovered and getting more sales. According to Al Riesin The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding:

"The Internet is moving too fast to be measured. It's a new industry. Knowledge is scarce. Few people know what they want, what they would use, what they would be willing to pay for... until they are given a real world-choice."

If you have a website, your goal is to give your customers a real world choice. The more they know about you, the more they trust you and the more they will make better decisions in buying online.

Customers. Customers, Customers

You're not building your website for nobody. That's why it's essential to think about what your customers expect to find in your website. Do you have relevant content? Do your webpages load fast enough? Is your web design classy, not gaudy? Are you putting too many advertisements that turn off your visitors?

If you're selling goods online, how a transaction is made is another important issue you need to take care of. In the world of ecommerce, there is nothing more destructive than a poorly designed catalog, a badly-designed shopping cart, slow order processing, or even the lack of capability to accept credit cards online. Your job as a website store owner is to ensure that you can sell online without disappointing your customers halfway through the shopping process.

Lastly, but not an afterthought, did you ever consider the idea of "repeat business"? If you can do it before you launched your website, chances are you can do it when you have your own website. Marketing your business through seasonal sales, community support, blogs, bookmark and RSS feeds, newsletters are some of the best ways to keep your customers coming back. Make your online store so interesting to the point that they will recognize its value and remember your website name.