Define the purpose of your site

In business, there are three main types of websites:

the brochure site
the lead generator site
the online shop

A Brochure Site

The brochure site is an online support to your offline marketing. You will refer to it in your ads, because you pay for ads by the square inch, and acres are cheap on the internet. You will refer to it in your Yellow Pages ads, your business cards and your brochures. An online presence will give you a credibility that your competitors without a website (getting fewer every day) don't have. But in the end it is just an online version of a tri-fold a printer might do for you. There is nothing wrong with a brochure site, if this is all you want in your marketing plan.

A Lead Generation Site

The next step up is a lead generator site. Unlike a brochure site, you want it to generate business on its own. You want people to find your site while browsing on the internet, and having seen your site, feel compelled to call or email you. After that contact is made, hopefully a sale will follow.

Online Store

The last option is that your website is a storefront where visitors to your site can actually purchase products and services. In other words, after finding your site, and viewing your content, they are compelled to "click here" to make a purchase.

TIP: The purpose of your site determines the focus of not only the layout and look, but also the content that needs to be promoted to grab the users attention. Determining the purpose up front ensures we continue to work towards the right end goal.

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