How A Profitable Website Can Help You

Why do you have a website?

Is it because everyone told you to get your own website now that you’re in business for yourself?

And now that you have your own site, what are you supposed to do with it?

Unfortunately, many small business owners fall in to the trap of developing a website without any thought as to what a website can do for them. So the website sits there, acting as an online brochure, and bringing in little if any business.

Over time, the questions start coming in. Why did I build this site? What can I do to make my website more profitable? If those questions have begun creeping in to your thought process, welcome to the possibility of creating a website that will work for you.

Creating a profitable website really starts with 3 things.

1. Create a plan.
You’ve seen the websites that have a lot of information, and they keep you coming back again and again. You keep returning because they answer questions about your business, or help you discover solutions to every day problems. They’re informative and fun!

These sites always began with a plan. They knew their audience, and they delivered specific items to that audience. How do you create a website like that? The answer is simple. Start with a great foundation; then continue to build.

You see, most business owners put up a site, and let it sit there for weeks, months, or even years without a single change. That’s not a website. That’s a brochure. A website is meant to grow with your business. It’s meant to have pages added when you create special promotions. It’s meant to have pages added when you have new ideas. It’s meant to keep your readers up to date on what’s happening with your business.

If you start with an online strategy that has you placing one new page on your website every week, you’ll create over 52 new pages a year! Think of all the information you could provide your customers with 52 new pages.

2. Discover your target audience.
Now that the number 52 is out there, do you find that a little overwhelming? How could you possibly add 52 new pages to your website this year? It’s really an easy task.

Think about who your target market is. Is it a 42-year-old woman, working full time, has kids at home, and is trying to build her financial portfolio for retirement? Is it a 35 year old man, married and starting a family, wanting to spend a few hours a week pursuing his dream of sailing? The more detailed you can make your descriptions, the easier it will be to begin to build pages on your website exclusively for your target person.

Open up a new word document, and start writing directly to your customer. Create an article that speaks to your target client. Tell them about a particular investment strategy. Teach them how to get involved in hobbies. Provide them with helpful tips on how to build a life full of passion. Write directly to that person, and tell them what you would say if you were speaking to them in person.

And if you have trouble writing, invest in a tape/digital recorder, and speak to your target person. Then translate it back to text when you have your ideas formulated.

Place this information on your website. Consider creating an articles section or a frequently asked questions page. Both will allow you to continually add resources in an easy way.

3. Get in front of the people that will help you Get Known.
The more you grow your website, the more people will rely on you as an authority in your industry. And invariably, as your site grows, you will begin connecting with other people both in your industry and in complimentary businesses. It happens naturally.

The Internet is an incredible resource that offers you hundreds of ways of advertising your business. Most methods are of low or no cost, and merely take an investment of time to learn how to accomplish the tasks.

Just like you network and consistently look for new places to place a brochure in your local market, your web address is the same. Make a commitment to placing links to your website in many areas online. Not only will this help grow your references online, it will also help build your business in numerous different markets. And the powerful thing with links is they can last months - or even years. It’s an amazing way to build your business for the future!