You cant just build a website and hope it works!

By Peter Simmons
Posted Friday, June 25, 2004

Like any area of business your website needs some effort
from you if its going to be successful. You'd be foolish to
just build any old website and hope it works. Yet this
approach, or rather lack of approach, is still widespread on
the internet. Businesses still dont seem to understand what
the internet can do to benefit them and their customers.
They just dont get it.

This is not a new criticism, people have been saying it for
years. Notice i used the word people, because thats exactly
who suffers. You, me and the millions of people like us who
are visiting those sites during our virtual travels. Many of
these businesses do actually have great products and
services to offer us, its just that they havent put the
effort in to find out what we, their customers want. They
havent bothered to find out about us, about our needs, about
our wishes. They have other more pressing priorities it
seems. So they just present them to us any old way and hope
we dont notice or are too stupid to notice. Dont they
understand they are losing sales, customers, repeat
customers, referrals and more?

Whether your business has a whole team working on your
website or just you, its going to take some effort and
commitment to get to a point where your website is
satisfying your customers. A website where you have a direct
conversation with your visiting potential customers. A
conversation where they feel you are talking directly to
them. A conversation where they feel you understand them.
You understand their needs and wishes like no other business
has done before. In short, a place where you connect with
your customers and they connect with you. A place where you
are entirely focused on them, NOT on you. Not on your
products, not on your credentials or ego, not on anything
else about you.

For example, instead of just detailing information about
your products, present your information in a way that is
valuable to them. Of course, they will want to know what
your product does and some key information about how it
works, etc. But present it to them so that they know
instantly and precisely how they benefit from it: How much
money they will save with it. How much time they will save
with it. How it will make their life better. How it will
make their life easier, etc.

Focusing wholeheartedly on your customers is not easy, it
takes time, motivation, commitment and innovation. Which i
suspect is ultimately why it doesnt always get done. Dont
let this happen to your site. Do it well and you will see
the results. But be sure about it, you've got to take on the
responsibility to do as much as you possibly can if you want
to see those golden results. Ensure your customers visit is
a positive one that will stay fresh in their mind for some
time.

How can you tell how well your site is doing? Answer the
following questions to get an indication:

Do you regularly promote your website to carefully targeted
customers?
Do you know exactly how your customers benefit from your
website?
Are you getting the sales figures and incomes you want?
Are you getting new customers regularly?
Do you get regular positive customer feedback?
Do you get regular positive website feedback?
Can you describe your customer and their needs and wants
easily?
Are you regularly looking at ways to improve your site and
products for your customers?
Does the text on your site speak to an individual person?
Is it easy to contact you via the site?

Generally, the more questions you answered yes to, the more
successful your website can be. You should of course aim for
90-100% (9-10 yes's). Lower than 90% (9 yes's) indicates
that you need to improve.

One of the great things about the internet, unlike other
more traditional media, is its ability to be updated
immediately. You can change anything on your website at
anytime and as often as you like. Use it to experiment with
offers and products. Experiment with the way you present
them to find out what works and what doesnt. Use this great
feature to improve your site for the better. Better for your
customer that is.

Tips:

1. Listen to your customers.
2. Dont be too precious about your site content and
products.
3. Dont become too attached to anything on your site. Change
or remove it if it doesnt work.
4. Ask for honest feedback.
5. See the bigger picture.

Good luck!

About the Author
Peter Simmons is editor of the DYNAMIQ EZINE. GET MAXIMUM
RESULTS FROM YOUR WEBSITE! Increase your traffic, prospect
conversions, sales, profits, referrals and more... START
GETTING RESULTS RIGHT NOW at (http://www.dynamiq.co.uk/ezine)
or email me anytime for immediate assistance
mailto:peter@dynamiq.co.uk