You just came up with the greatest web business idea ever! Every instinct in you says it will be wildly popular, and you can see the web design concept in your mind. You have the whole business mapped out. So you start to build the product, write your business materials, and get your business off the ground. You decide to either hire a web designer, or to build it yourself. The website design is perfect. And in this world, it pretty much has to be. Your website is set up to pull your visitor into the world that they feel comfortable in if they are seeking your product. The product images are powerful and the descriptions well written. The shopping cart allows people to get more details if they want, but always makes purchasing a simple option. Checkout offers and upsell item that is related to the product. Your help and support systems function flawlessly. In short, your product and your website are all that you envisioned. Your website is exactly what it should be. To compete in the internet world, quality and effective design is critical. But you have no business. You have no customers. You have a room full of product which sits there gathering dust. Without a promotional campaign, your website is dead in the water. No one knows it is there, and you'll never sell a thing, unless you talk your neighbor into taking one off your hands at a discount. Internet marketing is the half of website building that many designers neglect to mention when they quote you a price. And many business owners do not know that it is a separate service and specialty so they don't ask. Yet without it, all the time, effort, and money you put into building your site is useless! Conversely, you can market all you want, but if your website fails to effectively deliver sales, you'll be wasting your marketing money or time. The two elements MUST function together, and both must be attended to, or the entire effort is academic. You may learn something from it, but it will fail to perform. Web Design and Promotion will require equal effort and investment. Otherwise you may as well not bother paying for the other half. Written by Laura Wheeler |
