| Q: Should I build and maintain my
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| | youprovide.
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| business Web site myself or paysomeone
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| | Here's are a few questions that, once
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| else to do the work for me?
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| | answered, will help ensure thatyour Web
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| -- Wesley L.
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| | site's message is as appealing as its
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| A: When you say, pay someone else to do
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| | design. Go over thesepoints with the
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| the work for you, Wesley,
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| | designer before the design process begins
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| I am going to assume that you are talking
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| | as the answerswill help determine the
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| about hiring a professional
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| | direction your Web site's design should
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| Web site designer to do the work and not
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| | take.
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| your next-door neighbor'steenage son. If
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| | What Is The Purpose Of Your Web Site?
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| my assumption is correct, then read on.
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| | Most business Web sites have two
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| If not, goahead and surf on over to You
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| | purposes: (1) to educate the consumerand,
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| will get no good outof the advice I'm
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| | (2) to sell them products or services. If
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| about to give, so you might as well
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| | you sell shoes, for example,the purpose
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| consult Dilbertfor your hot business
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| | of your Web site is to educate potential
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| tips.
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| | customers on thequality and durability of
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| Should you build and maintain your
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| | your shoes and as a result, to sell them
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| business Web site yourself or paysomeone
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| | shoes.
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| to do it for you? Let me answer your
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| | If you paint houses the purpose of your
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| question with a coupleof my own. Number
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| | Web site is to educate home ownerson why
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| one: is building and maintaining Web
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| | your services are superior to other
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| sites the keyfocus of your business?
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| | painters and sell them onhiring you to
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| Number two: could your time be better
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| | paint their house. By defining the
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| spentdoing more important things like, oh
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| | purpose of your Website you will give the
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| I don't know, say running yourbusiness?
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| | designer the information required to
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| If your answers were no and yes,
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| | create a
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| respectively, then youhave no business
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| | Web site that best conveys that purpose
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| building and maintain a Web site.
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| | to your target audience.
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| Remember this: every minute you spend on
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| | Who Is My Target Audience?
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| tasks that are not relatedto the key
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| | Your target audience consists of those
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| focus of your business is time spent to
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| | folks you want to attract toyour Web
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| the detriment ofyour business. In other
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| | site: potential and current customers,
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| words, every minute you spend focusing
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| | future and currentemployees, possible
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| ontasks that do not contribute to the
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| | investors, etc. Anyone who might be
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| growth of your business and
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| | interestedin your company and its
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| therebyincrease your bottom line is time
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| | products or services is a member of
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| wasted.
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| | yourtarget audience. Correctly
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| If you want to be a web designer, be a
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| | identifying your target audience is
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| web designer. However, if thekey focus of
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| | vitalsince your Web site should be
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| your business is building widgets, it
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| | designed specifically to appeal to
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| doesn't take arocket scientist to figure
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| | yourtarget audience.
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| out that your time would be better
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| | Put yourself in their shoes (or in front
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| spentbuilding widgets, not Web sites.
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| | of their computers). Imagineyour Web site
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| Case in point: I once had a very wealthy
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| | through their eyes. If you were visiting
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| dentist ask if I could teachhim how to
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| | a Web sitesuch as yours what would you
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| maintain his Web site so he wouldn't have
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| | expect to find and what would you
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| to pay me to doit. Now my teeth had
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| | bedisappointed not to find? Identify your
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| helped put this guy's kids through
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| | target audience, then haveyour Web site
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| college, butthat didn't seem to matter.
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| | designed to fulfill their needs and
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| At that moment he was more concerned
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| | surpass theirxpectations.
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| abouthaving to pay for changes to his Web
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| | What Content Should My Web Site Feature?
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| site than my personal oral hygiene.
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| | Your Web site content should be driven by
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| Sure, I said, I'll be glad to teach you
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| | the nature of your business.
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| how to update your Web site,just as soon
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| | If you're a real estate agent, your site
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| as you teach me how to clean my own teeth
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| | should feature photographsof homes you
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| so I don't haveto pay you to do it. He
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| | have for sale and information on buying
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| got the point. And he charged me enough
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| | and selling ahome. If you own an auto
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| forthe cleaning to keep his site updated
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| | body shop, your site might feature
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| for months. Smart man.
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| | beforeand after photographs of cars that
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| Many business owners think they can't
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| | you have repaired. Remember todetermine
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| afford a professionally designed
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| | the purpose of your site, then develop
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| Web site and that simply is not true.
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| | the content to servethat purpose.
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| While the old adage, "you getwhat you pay
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| | What's My Competition Doing?
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| for" is never more true than when applied
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| | The last question you should ask is one
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| to Web sitedesign, having a professional
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| | of the most important: Whatis your
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| web designer do the work for you ismoney
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| | competition doing on the Web? Do a Google
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| well spent. A well-designed Web site can
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| | search for similarbusinesses and click
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| bring you a many-foldreturn on your
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| | around their Web sites. How are their Web
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| investment. You can't say that about too
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| | sitesdesigned? What message are they
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| many othercollaterals.
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| | trying to convey? Are they doing agood
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| While it is best to leave Web site design
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| | job of conveying that message and as a
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| and maintenance to the experts,it is up
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| | result, selling products?
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| to you (or someone considered a subject
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| | What do you like about their Web sites?
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| matter expert withinour company) to
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| | What don't you like? Makenote of the
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| provide the designer with the content
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| | things you like and the things you hate,
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| (text and photographs)that best conveys
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| | then share yourfindings with your site
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| your company's message to your customers.
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| | designer.
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| A Web site,no matter how well designed,
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| | Remember, you're not stealing trade
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| is meaningless if it lacks the
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| | secrets here.
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| contentrequired to interest customers in
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| | You're just borrowing ideas.
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| the products you sell or services
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| | Here's to your success.
|
