Still Don't Have a Small Business Website?

You can't wait to start.

You know it's time for a small business website or website review for your business because—let's face it—it's the only way to go.

The internet IS the place where business is conducted today.

It's where your customers and prospects are, competitors too, and it's where you need to be!

Get to Know or Update Your Small Business Website

But before you jump in with guns blazing, you may want to stop. Stop. And take a deep breath. Why? You'll do yourself a favor, that's why. Trust me, I know.

For one thing, I'm a little technologically challenged—maybe you are too—but don't let that stop you. You can do it. We'll break it down.

Heck, even if you are a first rate tech geek, or business hotshot, or top dog SAAS provider, you'll do yourself a favor by taking a little time to stop, think, consider, review, and plan.

You want to optimize your site's execution so when you present your brand spanking fabulous and shiny new website to the world, you'll be presenting it with purpose.

And with fewer glitches, problems, and…well, issues overall.

Website Needs Evaluation

Yep, I know. You already know you need a website but what we want to explore before considering anything else—platform, hosting, CMS, (content management system) themes, design and so on—is the purpose of your site.

Ask yourself, “What do I want my website to do?"

Typically a business website's overall objective is to connect with their customers, but how?

Will your website be about creating a web presence—an online brochure of sorts highlighting your business/products/services—in an informational and user-friendly way?

Or will you sell products directly from the site?

How about a blog? Do you have a plan for that? What information, exactly, is important to incorporate in the site's material?

How will visitors to your site navigate it? What important navigation buttons will you need or want?

How will you organize, in other words, the information and messages on your website?

How many pages will you need to start…to grow? What are the main topics important to your business or to your audience?

See what I mean? There's quite a lot to consider so you need a plan of attack.

Also, the answer to these questions will help guide your decisions for selecting the right platform and plugins, for example.

You want your site to do what you want and need it to do without add-ons or change expenses.

To put this together and organize your objectives, start with an outline, sometimes called a sitemap.

Mind Map your ideas/objectives for a more visual approach but you most definitely want to set a framework to work from as you go.

Take a look at how this may work:

Of course, you want to carefully craft your messages for each of these key pages, remembering that web users are surfers and scanners.

It's important to be clear and concise in what you present, but don't be afraid to stand out. Which brings us to the next big (but fun) step.