If you haven’t thought of a clear purpose for your web site it may be doomed to fail from the start. I’ve encountered many people that call me up to have a site designed for them only to realize later that they did not do enough research in the beginning.
Planning a web site begins with asking yourself
“Why do I need a web site?”
1. Write it down
Get a piece of paper and write down all the reasons why you want a web site. Is it to sell a product, stay in touch with friends, or just provide information? Keep writing until you run out of ideas.
2. Discuss it with friends
Getting feedback from others will help you think outside of yourself. Have you ever bought clothing you thought suited you, only to get severely criticized for wearing it later by your friends? You may regret it, and then never wear that clothing again.
Don’t do the same with the product you are in love with.
That’s why it’s a good to bounce your web site ideas off others.
3. Do online research
If you intend to sell a product check if people actually want to buy it. Visit the overture suggestion tool
http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
to find out how many people are actually searching for this product. If the number is high then you know there may be a great demand for it. Also enter a keyword related to your product in the Google Search Box. This will give you an idea of how many competing web sites there are.
4. Conduct a survey or poll
Visit an online forum that relates to your item or service. Register for the forum then create a poll within the forum. Keep it short and to the point so that you will get many answers. Your answers will provide a good indication of how interested people are.
5. Create an Ad Words Campaign
These are small ads that appear on the right side of your search results. They provide a fast way to see if your business idea can be a profitable one. Open a Google AdWords account; create a number of ads based on the keywords for your idea. Each ad should contain a different keyword so you will know which ad pulls the best.
Run your campaign for a few days so you get a good number of results. If you get a high number of clicks for one ad then you may have a winning product. A low number of clicks mean you should probably discard that idea and try something else. This will save you a lot of time and money. You know the saying….
“Don’t flog a dead horse.”
Conclusion
Deciding on a clear purpose and doing the necessary research will increase the potential of creating a profitable web site. The more time you spend planning your web site will prevent you making a lot of mistakes later.
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