Don't waste your money on a website! - Part 1 of 4

Your website can be one of your best assets but let's face it - for lots of people the money they spend on their website is wasted.

A friend of mine - let's call her Carol - is a classic example. She runs a furniture business. She told me, 'We got a website a few months ago, but it hasn't done anything for our sales.'

Her business primarily advertises though brochures and the local newspaper. Each ad includes their website address, but a visit to the site shows that it focuses more on the business than the products, provides very little useful information and doesn't engage customers. It's got some photos of bedroom suites and table settings, but Carol says most of those are out of date anyway.

What's the problem with this picture?

Carol's website is built okay, the design is nice enough and it clearly states her company's contact details. Yet no-one calls her after visiting the website.

The problem is that it has no clear purpose. It contains a little of everything - and too much superflous information about the business itself. While the website designer has done a competent job technically and creatively, Carol needs to change the content and features on the site if she's going to get the response she's after.

The content, features and design are all guided by what you hope to achieve with your website.

Decide your goals before your features

What is the goal or purpose of your website? Having a clear purpose is the only way of knowing whether or not your website is doing what it is meant to.

Many people who start a small business feel they 'need a website' and think no more about it than that. This essentially means that the purpose of the site is just 'to be there'. Which it may achieve - but by simply being there a site will provide little (if any) actual benefit to your business.

Other people want a site that has all the bells and whistles or includes some amazing new feature. This too is flawed as it means the purpose of the site is not aligned with the goals of your business. The site design may deliver the new feature, but if it doesn't help your business to perform then it's still a waste of money.

If you think about it carefully there are only ever three major goals that you can hope to achieve through your business website:

1. Make sales - this site aims to sell products or services directly and to bring revenue into your business. A simple goal but one that can be challenging to achieve.
2. Reduce costs - a business can save money by letting people self-serve online where they used to have interaction with staff. Online banking is a good example.
3. Increase brand perception - usually relevant to larger businesses, some websites exist only to enhance the image of the brand. Companies like Coca-Cola and Nike use these type of websites.

Identifying your goal is the crucial first step in the process of building your website.

Over the next few weeks I will be outlining each of these options and the techniques that can be used to achieve the outcome that you want - so that your website will not be a waste of money.