How To Build a Successful Website – Part One
So you want to build a successful website? Or maybe you just want a few more nuggets to help push your already successful website over the top? Whatever the case, what you are about to read might just be the piece you've been missing.
So let's get started!
#1 Research for Success
After over 10 years of building websites I've seen and heard many stories and met with many website owners and one thing I've found is that many don't do enough research before getting started. I met a client who had invested over $50,000 for a fancy “self managed e-commerce website” only to find out they didn't have sufficient control to build website pages that were marketing savvy and search engine friendly. Not only did they lose their money, but they lost over 1 year of potential revenues redoing the whole site.
Here are a few things you should know before getting started with any website developer or website project:
- Will you own everything pertaining to your website presence? e.g. domain, website apps and pages
- How much control will you have over your content in order to market (sell) effectively to ensure your online business success?
- Is there a market for what you are selling? How big? How Competitive? Who's having success and why?
- Do you know the technology that's going to be used and can you personally change things on your website?
- If you already have a website, do you know how to read your website statistics?
- Do you know what website statistics are most important and what they're telling you?
- What keywords are your prospects & competitors using in search engines?
There are others, but this should get you started. The more you know, the less costly and MORE PROFITABLE your website & online endeavours will be.
#2 Successful Websites Have Useful Content
Although this is number two on the list, CONENT IS KING when it comes to building a successful website. Based on your research, you should be able to write content for your web page that visitors will find useful. If you feel you don't know how to write, there are many great writing resources available online and offline to help you become a success. You can also subscribe to the 3C Tips for Online Success insiders club, but just to wet your whistle here are some quick guidelines.
- Content should grab a visitor's attention in 15 seconds or less, inform the visitor they're in the right place and build curiosity to keep them reading.
- Be sure to use keywords in your writing for optimized content that search engines will successfully index.
- Keep each web page content on your website focused on a single topic.
- Each page on average should be between 400-600 words.
- Use an exciting title and relevant headlines.
- Use your content to build trust.
#3 Collect Visitor Information
Most first-time visitors to any website will not buy right away so it is important to have a way to keep in touch with them. A good example is to:
- Give away something USEFUL for FREE – If you have a website, 3C offers a Creative Optimization & List Building E-book for FREE. It has a value of over $50.
There are several other aspects to building a successful website which are covered in How To Build a Successful Website – Part Two
Why not subscribe to 3C Tips for Online Success insiders club or connect with us on Facebook and receive other insights.
You may also e-mail me your questions and I'll do my best to respond in a timely manner.
Written by Kennith C. Gray
Successful Website Builder Since 1998
