Web Development Information |
Warning: The Truth About Having a Web Site!
If you don't have a web site yet, are thinking of slapping one up or have one that simply isn't producing, this Warning is for you! All too often folks contact me about getting a Web Site when they really have not done their due diligence in determining even if their "idea" is one worth investing in. And although they hate spam and don't believe most of it, they do tend to fall into believing much of the fast, easy and cheap noise online in existence only to line the pockets of shysters and unscrupulous developers. Here are some questions you need to ask and investigate getting the answers to so you can realistically determine if your idea is one worth pursuing and investing in. If any "solution" tells you these questions are not of concern, raise that red flag and run as fast as you can in the opposite direction! Certainly don't give them a dime of your hard earned money! => What will your online expenses be for your Web server, ISP connection, E-Commerce application, Web Site development and maintenance? => Why will people buy this product/service from you over any of the number of Web Sites currently online? Have you searched at Google with your top 3-5, 2-3 word keyword phrases to get an idea of the level of competition you may be up against? => How do you intend to get your new site found? => What is your marketing plan to compete with the Sites already online that are promoting the same product/service? => Can you offer your product or service at a competitive price and what is that? => Will your suppliers support your requests and potential growth/demand for the product? => Is the quality of your product/service in line with the price you are asking? => How much will it cost to have enough inventories to support orders while additional product is in transit? => What options will I have for shipping, where will I ship and what will I charge respectively for shipping and handling? => What are the issues to consider and the best rates/providers for a Merchant Account so that I can accept credit cards securely on my site? => What are my policies and return procedures in regard to online ordering? => What are the tax and legal requirements and implications I need to consider when doing business online? Unfortunately, all too many think that by just getting your own dot com and throwing up a Web Site - selling... er? well? anything, and then just sitting back and waiting for the orders or e-mail to roll in, they will soon be on the path to IPO-dom or financial freedom. What happens when site owners do not do their due diligence or realize after the fact that this is a business with the very same responsibilities just as in the off-line world? What if they do not get all the above questions answered and a firm understanding of what will be involved before they jump online? They end up not becoming successful while wasting a lot of their hard earned money. Having a Web site for commercial gain is not simply a bunch of pictures and code that make a pretty presentation. It is serious business and needs to be run as such if you plan to succeed. You need to know the basics of running a business from accounting, to operational policies, to tax and legal issues. You need to be prepared to plan how your marketing program will adjust to this evolving technology both on and off-line based on data and trends; how you will adjust as well. Do you want to have your very own successful online enterprise that you worked hard at, built to be successful and are proud of based on sound business practices and proven principles? Or do you prefer to throw money at the hype that negates the need for any serious efforts? The choice is yours to make - not the developer or promotion touting Fast!, Cheap!, Easy!. Remember to use your common sense - if it sounds too good to be true when it comes to becoming successful online, it is! About the Author:
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
7 Killer Ways To Increase Your Online Sales Every online entrepreneur I talk to is asking the same question, "How do I increase my online sales, NOW?"Online selling is essentially a numbers game. The more visitors to a site, the more sales that site will make. 5 Sure Fire Ways To Send Visitors Away For Good So your traffic is going through the roof yeah? It's all becoming a bit too much? You're getting lots of sales enquiries through your website every day? You want to send visitors away from your site for good? Just follow these five Sure Fire Ways and your site will be a tumbleweed ghost town in no time.Way No. How Your Own Website Helps Your Small Business Grow What do you mean, you don't have a website for your small business? Now that the Internet age is well and truly upon us, small business owners who haven't yet realised what a well-designed website could do for their business are getting harder and harder to find. If you're one of them, though, read on to find out how starting your own website could help your small business grow. Website Development: Become Your Own Expert Starting and maintaining a business is challenging enough without the additional financial burden of hiring a web site expert to put your vision on paper. If you are starting your business on a "shoe string budget," hiring someone to take your written materials to type in a basic format, add a few pictures and edit what you tell them periodically may not be sound money management. If Its Done Its Done for: Make Your Website Part of Your Business before You Build Web sites are an Ongoing Part of Business.All too many small business owners build a web site that is considered complete once the final copy is placed. HTML Editors 101 - Smaller Is Better SiteSpinnerSiteSpinner is a user-friendly web site development tool that includes many advanced features such as drag-and-drop positioning, built in FTP to publish directly to your web site, an image editor and graphics creation all in one. With SiteSpinner, objects can be placed wherever you want them with your mouse. Why You Really Need Your Own Web Page In-order To Make Online Business! How many Web Sites did you stumble over telling you that you don't actually need your own? Now, this is true to a certain extend but not if you are heading for the real scoop.What we all aim for is to go from point A to B in the shortest time. 3 Ways To Increase Your Websites Conversion rate Everywhere you look these days, people are telling you that in order to sell through your website, you need tons of traffic.Well, even though my business is traffic generation, *I'm* going to tell you that it's a BIG FAT LIE!The secret of a successful website isn't just in the amount of visitors it has; it's in the amount of visitors that are converted to buyers. How To Evaluate Your Web Sites Performance Setting up a website is the very first step of an Internet marketing campaign, and the success or failure of your site depends greatly on how specifically you have defined yourweb site goals.If you don't know what you want your site to accomplish, it will most likely fail to accomplish anything. You Need a Website! No matter the size of your business, having a web site is a low cost way to market your services and products twenty-four hours a day. Web sites are a constant advertisement for your business and will help you reach your targeted customers effectively. Duplication vs. Individualism How can we add Word Rich Content to our Websites without overtly duplicating others website content, and as an end product maintain our own Individualism?In theory Article Libraries are the answer to the above question. But, is it true that if you continually add like information to your site, you no longer maintain an individual posture?Not every article that is submitted to your site will fit the needs of your particular agenda. 5 Tips For A Better Website Having an eye catching website is great, but are you optimizing your website to allow the best performance possible? I receive several emails a day from clients asking how they can get more hits to their websites, what can be done to increase sales, and how to prepare their sites for search engines. There are very simple things that can be done to help your website perform its best. Content Management - The New Standard in Web Design The evolution of web development parallels the model of technology spending by companies today. The style and method has transformed along with the business spending trend. Is Your Web Site Talking to Your Customer? A while ago one of my clients approached me and mentioned thatthey were experiencing a serious problem with customerregistrations (obtaining customer names and e-mail addresses),on their web site. They still had a lot of traffic, but werefinding that the ratio between traffic and registrations hadbeen dropping steadily. Creating Dynamic Website Content with PHP - MySQL Fresh website content for your visitors can be of real benefit when attempting to generate repeat traffic. Most webmasters, however, just don't have enough spare time to frequently update or rebuild their pages manually. Writing Effective ALT Text For Images Anyone who knows anything about web accessibility knows that images need alternative, or ALT, text assigned to them. This is because screen readers can't understand images, but rather read aloud the alternative text assigned to them. 10 Things You Should Be Monitoring On Your Website Every business needs to know how it is doing. That's the idea behind exit surveys, customer feedback forms, suggestion boxes and other devices. 50 Ways To Use Your Website A website is the most versatile and cost-effective marketing tool on the market. It is also an investment. The Importance of Website Stats to You One of the best tools you have as a webmaster is your website statistics. The most popular site stats programs are Awstats, Webalizer, and Analog. 7 Profit Producing Reasons Why Every Successful Service Professional Needs A Web Presence Your business website is a critical aspect of being able to start and continue conversations with potential clients. It's the ultimate self-service window for potential and current clients who come to you interested in your services and/or products. |
home | site map | contact us |