08-05-2009, 12:54 AM
■STEP 1: Start by creating a basic road map. This will set the tone for what you’re doing. Keep in mind
that this is an evolutionary process. In the beginning, don’t try to be Amazon.com. (It took them years to
become a web powerhouse.) Grandiose visions are fine, but you need to build up to realizing them. Start
small and grow big.
■STEP 2: Determine what tools you need to help drive the right traffic to your site. The web is a very competitive
space—today there are over 11 billion web pages, so you need to be strategic in deciding what works best
for you. Some of these tools include search engine marketing, e-mail marketing and search engine optimization.
Also, now’s the time to decide how and where you’re going to spend your (limited) marketing budget.
■STEP 3: How will you determine what’s working on your site and what isn’t? Some industry best practices
will work for you; others may need some tinkering. Deciding how to measure your ROI (return on
investment) and other crucial metrics is key to the success of your business. The best way to find this out
is through website traffic reports, but you should listen to your customers as well. They will let you know
what market tactics are working for you, what ones aren’t, and how to improve your results. You’ll need
to go further than that—but don’t worry, there’s a lot of help out there to make these tasks easier.
■STEP 4: Apply what you learn from your metrics. These include page views, length of visits, site traffic
volume and trends, and you should study them to improve your site’s content, navigation and performance.
This enables you to offer a better experience to your visitors.
Continued
Web Design UK
that this is an evolutionary process. In the beginning, don’t try to be Amazon.com. (It took them years to
become a web powerhouse.) Grandiose visions are fine, but you need to build up to realizing them. Start
small and grow big.
■STEP 2: Determine what tools you need to help drive the right traffic to your site. The web is a very competitive
space—today there are over 11 billion web pages, so you need to be strategic in deciding what works best
for you. Some of these tools include search engine marketing, e-mail marketing and search engine optimization.
Also, now’s the time to decide how and where you’re going to spend your (limited) marketing budget.
■STEP 3: How will you determine what’s working on your site and what isn’t? Some industry best practices
will work for you; others may need some tinkering. Deciding how to measure your ROI (return on
investment) and other crucial metrics is key to the success of your business. The best way to find this out
is through website traffic reports, but you should listen to your customers as well. They will let you know
what market tactics are working for you, what ones aren’t, and how to improve your results. You’ll need
to go further than that—but don’t worry, there’s a lot of help out there to make these tasks easier.
■STEP 4: Apply what you learn from your metrics. These include page views, length of visits, site traffic
volume and trends, and you should study them to improve your site’s content, navigation and performance.
This enables you to offer a better experience to your visitors.
Continued
Web Design UK