|
|
A career coaching
article:
Setting Up Your First Website
by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
Q. Hey, Cathy: I'm just
setting up a website. What should I do?
A. First, don't call the web designer yet!
Write out a detailed description
of your ideal client, if you haven't already done so.
Get very clear on what benefits you
will offer and how you will stand out from the crowd.
Before you spend days and weeks refining your copy, test your
ideas on real people -- as close to your ideal client as
possible.
Study your competition
to see what works -- and to avoid creating a "me-too" site
that gets lost in the crowd.
Most important, get some confirmation
that a market exists for your product.
Do people actually use this
product or service?
- Do they pay or expect freebies?
- Do they have a low-price mindset?
- Do they mind on the web?
If you can't answer yes to all these questions, identify
resources who can help.
If you are starting a
brand-new business with a website, start small. Very
small. Don't put a lot of money into your first website. If you
want create a professional image, hire a designer, but keep costs
down by setting up only a few pages. Your needs will change as
your business grows.
Your site needs three basic sections.
(a) What the site is about. I recommend writing two or
three sentences for your home page, enough for visitors to decide
if they want to hang around.
(b) Who you are. When you're the product, include an "about you"
page. I recommend a narrative format to hold readers' interest.
"Griselda began life in a cave somewhere in deepest Africa. After
being abducted at age seven, she was taken to the US and... "
Be sure to include links to pages that detail your achievements.
This is no time for modesty! List degrees, publications and
certificates.
You may turn off some potential clients: some will be put off by too
many or too few credentials, or they may have been burned by
someone with a similar background. Better to lose them up front,
I say.
(c) What you offer for sale. You need a page that describes your
products and services in mouth-watering detail. You may include
prices and a link to your shopping cart.
Some experienced web business owners choose to omit prices. They
send price sheets to people who express interest in their
services.
That's a judgment call, too. They hope to hook clients who are so
enthused by the website they'll pay more. On the downside, some
folks won't even ask -- they expect the prices to be a lot higher.
And you may include options: articles and downloadable ebooks, to
allow your web visitors to learn more about you. Write in lively,
journalistic, self-help style. Focus on topics that attract your
clients' interest. If you sell fitness products, include tips on
exercise.
How will visitors find you? You'll need a comprehensive plan
including metatags, content keywords, link swaps and articles.
When will you see results? If you have little or no revenue after
three months, experiment with tactics, such as getting your
website known, revising your site for better navigtion.
Resources to Help:
Robert Middleton's website, manual and web tools kit will help
nearly every solo professional. Click
here to get started.
I offer one-to-one consultations on career strategy.
Read additional articles.
Ezine
subscribers get articles delivered to their
email inbox every week
|