Nope. You certainly don't need a website.
But you don't need many of the things you've come to rely on, such as your cell phone, e-mail, or faxes.
And there's no point in having an Internet presence if those you want to reach lack computers or online capabilities. Or, if you have nothing to say. But, if you do have something to say, and your audience is accessible on the Internet, then consider a website.
Years before the Internet, I prepared a brochure to give to people who wanted to know what I did. It was pocket size, so I always had a few on hand to give out. And it was more impressive, and more descriptive of my services than a business card. Think of a website as an electronic brochure with many advantages over a printed brochure, such as:
1. It's unlimited in quantity. You don't have to get a few thousand printed every time you run out.
2. It's easily updated and, if you do it yourself, cost-free.
3. You can link it to your newsletter and other sites to extend its usefulness to the reader.
4. It also gets much wider exposure than any printed brochure ever could.
Initially, the only cost will be the time you spend not watching TV commercials. Most of us can afford that.
The first thing to do is decide what you want your web site to tell people about you. To do that, you don't need a computer, just a pad and pencil. Put them by your TV chair so you can scribble stuff down during commercials. Write a phrase about what you do. Then scribble down your qualifications. And what you do for your clients. Plus what they do for you (i.e. how you get paid).
Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or even forming sentences at this stage. All that comes later.
Can't think of anything to say about yourself? Ask your significant other, a client, or a few of your clients. Find out what they think you do, and why they deal with you.
If after a week your pad is blank, forget it. You're not ready for a web site. Why? Because the most important thing about a web site is content, and if you've got nothing to say, you've got no content.
When you've filled a page or so about what you do, and the benefits of dealing with you, it's time to reshape it. Start by dividing all the stuff you've written into two parts, qualifications, and other. In the qualifications pile include all the phrases that describe why prospects should deal with you. Try to turn them into a paragraph or two of benefits, and call them your Professional Background.
The other pile consists of what's left over, maybe your age, family life, hobbies, etc. Rewrite all those phrases into a more readable form and call that your Personal Profile.
Now you can turn on your computer, and type it all into your word processor, edit it so it hangs together and makes sense, then save it as MySite so you can copy it into your web site.
You now have some content for your website. For clues on how create it, visit http://www.lifesites.org
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cop yright 2005, Donald F. Pooley, Inc.
Don Pooley has shared his marketing know-how with audiences in major Canadian cities, London, Australia, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and now in his free ezine, TIP. Subscribe at http://www.eTIP.ca/, or get free article downloads, and redistribution rights info at http://www.eTIP.ca/Downloads/Publish.html
Home-based businesses need a strong web presence to combat the... Read More
For most people graphic design does not come easy. Unfortunately... Read More
Does your website make you any money? Does it SAVE... Read More
It is a well-known fact that a successful business depends... Read More
Think of the people who visit your site as blind... Read More
As the Internet blooms at an alarming rate, so as... Read More
Many web site designers don't design their sites for the... Read More
Once, I attempted to create a favicon (the little graphic... Read More
An application is not ready for use unless you have... Read More
Are you in a dilemma whether to create a mini... Read More
Studies done by Jakob Nielson the man touted as the,... Read More
One of the challenges of moving a web site up... Read More
There are two important reasons to build your website from... Read More
One of the most frequent questions I get asked about... Read More
When designing elements for your webpage, you will often be... Read More
Should Generating Revenue From A Website Be The Prime Motivator?... Read More
Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and... Read More
Projecting a professional image is paramount to your website's success.... Read More
If you are reading this, I assume you either have... Read More
Why is the quality of your text layout and design... Read More
I ask myself that question about once a month.My website... Read More
1. Who needs an artists website?Not everyone! If you are... Read More
Novice and professional graphic designers, we are aware that you... Read More
Daily article:One of the most debated subject among webmasters is... Read More
No, that's not the real question. The real question is... Read More
Physical therapists have unique web presence needs. An effective site... Read More
Automating your online business is one of the most important... Read More
Before you start worrying about marketing your website on the... Read More
Hire a designer or a programmer for your website is... Read More
Did you know that many folks make "buying decisions" when... Read More
I'm not a professional web site designer and openly admit... Read More
The .htaccess file is a control file located in your... Read More
One visit does not make a sale. Be sure to... Read More
Color is everywhere and conveys a message even if we... Read More
What dollar amount does your web site contribute to this... Read More
Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many... Read More
The internet continues to grow and has become the default... Read More
As search engine marketers, we spend an enormous amount of... Read More
Not too long ago while looking for businesses that do... Read More
Most of us at times need advice on different aspects... Read More
Many people hire professional web site designers for as much... Read More
Since I made the switch 6 months ago to a... Read More
Are you serious about get this website done fast and... Read More
The concept of web designing based on the nature and... Read More
When considering whether or not to incorporate Flash into your... Read More
Website Design Usability Tips1. Getting to know about audience membersYou... Read More
Since I'm a web designer, I have a tendency to... Read More
Whether you are planning on having a website built for... Read More
1. Size does not equate to competencePeople sometimes assume a... Read More
You have probably viewed many Flash-based components while surfing the... Read More
Did you know that many folks make "buying decisions" when... Read More
This article is the result of a conversation I had... Read More
We can't emphasize enough the importance of including keyword-rich content... Read More
Reading on the web is different than reading in all... Read More
If there's one thing that I've learnt so far, it's... Read More
ASP.NET is a new programming framework from Microsoft for developing... Read More
In this article I will give advice and tips of... Read More
If you are going to have a web presence for... Read More
Have you ever walked pass a shop that, for some... Read More
They say the eyes are the window to the soul.... Read More
So you've decided to take the plunge. You know that... Read More
If your Web site doesn't project a professional and polished... Read More
There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles... Read More
When JV Media Design was formed, the year was 1995... Read More
Setting up a survey on your site is extremely simple... Read More
1. Lack of overall strategy and clear definition of success:Most... Read More
Web Design |