Virtually all website owners concentrate their efforts and
energy into getting more visitors. With business owners this
effort is spent on getting more and more new customers. What
many people forget - with both their website and their business
- is that getting new customers (or visitors) is only a small
part of the equation for success.
Reason For Failure No. 1 - The 'I am God'-Syndrome
God got his name from being able to do anything and everything
and be everywhere at once. Despite what we are taught from an
early age many people still insist on believing they themselves
are God. Ever found yourself answering the phone, making a sale,
running a sales meeting, welcoming customers and doing your
company's accounts all in one day? Sure you have. You're trying
to be God and do everything and be in more than one place at one
time. You will fail. People do this with their website too.
Rather than just stopping at providing content (which is where
you should stop and hand everything else over to the
professionals) some people think that despite no professional
training or education in the subject they are experts in web
design, website marketing, graphic design and business
consultancy. Remember - stick to what you know, leave everything
else to the experts. Your job is to run your business - not to
run around like a headless chicken trying to create a website,
market a website, do the books, answer the phones and make the
tea.
Reason For Failure No. 2 - 'Build It And They Will Come'
Ah yes. The halcyon days of the early 1990s when anything seemed
possible and merely owning a domain name or funky web address
meant certain success and riches beyond your wildest dreams.
"Build it and they will come" is what they said. They were
wrong.
Disaster after high profile disaster came crashing down into a
pile of dotcom carnage as the millions poured into the idea pit
were consumed by fast-spending entrepreneurs who possessed more
pairs of trainers than they did explanations for where the
profit was going to come from. Just remember - there are more
web pages in the world than there are people so if you really
think that just building a website is enough it's time for a
serious re-think. You've spent the money on graphic design,
content, domain names, hosting, web design and testing and your
site has just gone live. Congratulations - you have just
completed step 1 of 1000,001 in having a site that generates
business for you.
You now need to market the site - just as you need to market
your business when it first starts - advertising, fliers, yellow
pages, referrals, networking, cold calls, direct marketing, mail
shots, radio slots, events, conventions, product launches, press
coverage etc. A website is exactly the same. Don't forget the
new statement for the new age of new technology:
Build it and they will say - 'I can't find it!'
Reason For Failure No. 3 - You Choose The Wrong Website
Marketing Company It's difficult isn't it? There are so many to
choose from how do you know where to start? Well word of mouth
recommendation is always a good indication. Failing that you can
look at the key areas that are likely to indicate the quality of
their service. For example, ask these questions;
- Do they offer guarantees of any kind on their results? - Do
they proudly display testimonials from satisfied customers on
their website? - What is their profile on the web like, can you
find them easily? - Do they have detailed case studies
explaining how they have helped other businesses? - Do they have
a long-standing track record in the industry and wide
client-base? - There is no real way to avoid making the wrong
decision but if you keep learning more and more about website
marketing you will be arming yourself with enough information to
at least reduce the risk of choosing the wrong company.
Mike Cheney www.magnet4web.com
About the author:
You can get free access to lots more of my articles plus a Free
Bonus Special Report "How To Turn Your Website Into A Customer
Magnet" worth a value of £47 ($85) here:
http://www.magnet4web.com/website_services/?page=freeguide
