A
career change article:
Ten ways NOT to set up a
website-based service
business
by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
1. As the first step,
"Hire a web designer."
First develop strategy and copy. Start with my Special Report:
5C's of client-attracting copy (free
to subscribers of the Copy-Cat
Ezine).
2. Focus on graphics,
typefaces and colors.
Focus on potential clients and customers.
3. Avoid anything that
has to do with "strategy."
Spend more time on strategy than on website design.
4. Rely on your web
designer for all the updates.
Only if your designer is also your significant other! You may need to
make changes as often as once a day. Even if you have infinite
financial resources, your designer may not have infinite time for you.
5. Avoid learning HTML.
You need a smattering of HTML even if you use a package. If something
goes wrong, you'll save time if you can take a quick peek at the source
code.
6. Take a course in web
design after your site
has gone public.
You may not need a course. Begin with a practice website, using a free
package like Netscape's Composer, or PageMill, which has been bundled
with iMacs. Most ISP's offer free websites for personal use. Don't use
the "quick design" option: Write your own code and practice uploading!
7. Rely on submitting
your name to search engines
to generate traffic.
Supplement by submitting content to popular sites.
8. Refuse to pay for a
pro to help with writing
web content.
If your strength lies in pictoral or oral communication, get help!
Words count.
Learn more.
9. Ignore your
competitive websites.
Don't steal what's copyrighted, but learn from everybody else.
10. Create a concept
that requires more than
three sentences to explain.
You're lucky if your audience listens beyond the first sentence.
Get a list of 5
free and low-cost resources
(personally recommended) to jump-start
your business.
Subscribe to my FREE Copy-Cat ezine and download the 7 best-kept secrets of client-attracting
websites.