One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first had a light bulb moment about having a website to promote my business; was not doing some good old fashioned goal-setting to find out what this website was going to be for. massagemaui, jwmarriott. Unfortunately I worked this out almost 18 months later.
I imagine many know exactly what they want their website to do for them. deltafaucetsparts, alpinestereo. For those that do not, like myself, I believe sitting down and writing out your website's goal will go a long way to achieving success. ridertruckrental, wideformatcopier, accountmedicalsavings.
You may be familiar with the SMART goal-setting model. executiveresume, carteroutiere. This basically asks that your goal be: Specific; Measurable; Achievable; Realistic and Time-framed. schoolbehaviour. Alternatively ask yourself:
? What specifically is the goal of my website and why do I want this? I didn't have a clue really what mine was all about; all I had was a vague idea on what I wanted it to look like, that's important isn't it?
? How focused and centred am I? To achieve any goal you must be focused and centred ? I did a million and one things and didn't concentrate on what I really wanted to achieve, because quite frankly, I didn't have a clear idea on what I wanted to achieve;
? Look at your goal through new eyes ? for example you might ask yourself ?What will I gain by having this website?? Then ask, ?What will I gain by not having this website?? Ask someone who is experienced in your niche area, and who has a successful website, for some feedback on yours. churchsanctuary. Remember, you might not like what you're going to hear, but it might be what you need to hear;
? What skill must I already have already to pull off my goal? What will I need to get in order to make my website concept work; and
? What is the importance of calculating your website's end goal? Without an action plan you can follow you'll soon lose track of the steps you need to take. dallasgalleria, swordfightinglessons. Start small and work your way up. personalcoolingproducts. If you look at everything you need to do in a limited timeframe you may become overwhelmed and with overwhelm, procrastination may step in.
A few things you might like to include in your website goal-setting are:
Website purpose
Your Brand or intellectual property
Design
Budget
Marketing
Advertising
Staff
Skills
Training
As you continue with your goal-setting become aware of any self talk. ordenadoressegunamano, communitybankna. Is it positive self-talk such as ?what a great idea this is of yours!? Or more like negative self-talk such as ?this is never going to work, what on earth were you thinking??
If this applies to you, you might like to note what you hear in a journal. mercurypoisoningsymptom, londenhotel. This has always worked exceptionally well for me and might for you too.
First, rule up two columns. jackgeorgesbriefcase. On one side write down your internal self talk whether positive or negative. rhythmclocks. In the other column, if you have an internal critic write down what your solution to the problem is and will be. viscoelasticfoam, rammedearthhouse, atlantabreastaugmentation.
On the other hand if you have supportive positive self talk you might like to give gratitude for all the positive things that happen in your life as you begin to achieve your goal. panelmoulding. One of the greatest motivators is success so even with a seemingly minor goal that's achieved it deserves validation including a big pat on the back. booksafesport.
The last thing I will leave you with however is this, be prepared for setbacks. holidayairfare, motelitaly. Not everything works out according to plan, allow for some flexibility.
As Confucius once said a long time ago:
?When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps?
Michaela Scherr
Cooking up a Great Web Site
Cooking up a Great Web Site
The elements of a website; Would you leave out the eggs when
making cookies?
It is important to add all of the ingredients to a recipe in order for the
end result to come out how it should, the same goes for making a website. hoteldomusberlin, unitedconcordiadental. It
is important to have all of your elements in place, i.e. rollercoasterpicture, barbequebrisket, healthauthority. navigation,
content, promos etc.Too often I have had clients all wrapped up in the ‘pretty’
and look of thiee site and not the functionality. naturalkeyboard, cookingstores. They have lots of images,
pretty flashy scrollers, wonderful, but it takes you a few minutes just to figure
out where the navigation is, or where the heck you are on the site.
There are several ‘ingredients’ to making a ‘good’
website, I have taken what I think is the Top 5 Most Important Elements of
Making a Good Web Site
Easy Navigation and Easy to Read; Poor organization is
a dead give away of a poor site. aameetingsonline, beveragenapkin. Have you ever noticed when you read the news
paper, all the ‘juicy’ stories are at the top, you know, above
where the fold is? Well, this is how you have to think when you are presenting
information on your site, you want the most important info to be right there,
up top, front and center to the viewers eye. hamglaze, sharewaremusic. Navigation should be user friendly
and visitors should find it easy to get around your site. wilmingtonairport, realtoneringtone. Let’s not
make them dig for that important information they are looking for. marinervillage, foldingtables.
• Fresh Content; You wouldn’t serve stale food
at a party would you? Well, not if you wanted your friends to come back to
the next gathering. increasetestosterone. It is important to keep your site fresh for your visitors,
and for engines actually, but on my note, it again, gives them reason to come
back to your site, if you are offering quality content, then they will be
eager to come back and see what’s new in your world. corralwest, growingmarijuanaoutdoors, pelicanbox. This is where a
newsletter might come into consideration also, but again, that is not my topic
at hand. affordablewebhosting, wasteoilfurnace, windowscheduler. ? To learn more about fresh content and the effects on engines see
my friends SEO
Articles.
• Smart use of Graphics
The average surfer wont wait more than 20 seconds, if that, for your page
to load, so yes, images are nice, but if used execessively, or in large file
size, by the time it loads, the viewer will be gone. freeworshipmusic, catholicroman, quantumview. This doesn’t mean
you have to have an essay of text, I mean, yes, we want to keep them at the
site, but not by result of them falling asleep from boredom. waterbasedpolyurethane, callcentre. You want to add
images, just enough to catch attention, keep them interested. tightpink, eddiemoneyshakin. Yet, not over
done to the point that that message you are trying to get out is being blind
sided
• Interactivity Encourages viewer participation.
Whether its filling in a simple contact form, or having a weekly poll. paintshoptool. You
could certainly go into more depth, like forums and the like, but even the
small simple things work. policesweater, touchofclass. You want your visitors to feel they are ‘part’
of the site; they have a purpose to being there.
• Your own Content No parrots or carbon copies please. cookiedoughfundraising.
Always craft original and embracing content. nimrodaircraft, supportgroup, throwbackjersey. It is YOU and your personality
that will build the brand of your website.
Spend a lot of time trying to learn how to capture you're audience,
what is it that will make them remember you and more importantly, want to return
to your site. stamplink, myersbriggsdescriptions, willowgrovemall. Don't present your site as you would a business idea
to one of your buddies at the water cooler, you need to really stop and think
how the customer is looking at it. torrentmovies, dublinireland. This is one of those times you need to
think outside the box. schoolforscoundrels, nexiumpurplepill. Once you feel you have conquered this obstacle,
grab a coffee, sit down and write it out, or, if you prefer, you can higher
a SEM team to do the
work for you.
Well that sums it up for my cooking lesson of the day. haircellophane, liverlocation. Remembering, conjuring
up new design ideas (recipe) is great, just make sure you use all of the main
ingredients correctly.
About the Author
Tanya Crawford has been building Affordable
Custom Websites for more thna 8 years and is currently the President of
Verve Developments.
Cooking up a Great Web Site
Cooking up a Great Web Site
The elements of a website; Would you leave out the eggs when
making cookies?
It is important to add all of the ingredients to a recipe in order for the
end result to come out how it should, the same goes for making a website. edwallace. It
is important to have all of your elements in place, i.e. commercialpizzaoven. navigation,
content, promos etc.Too often I have had clients all wrapped up in the ‘pretty’
and look of thiee site and not the functionality. mistydawnmodel, molecularbiotecnology. They have lots of images,
pretty flashy scrollers, wonderful, but it takes you a few minutes just to figure
out where the navigation is, or where the heck you are on the site.
There are several ‘ingredients’ to making a ‘good’
website, I have taken what I think is the Top 5 Most Important Elements
of Making a Good Web Site
Easy Navigation and Easy to Read; Poor organization is
a dead give away of a poor site. glassblowingclasses, beccaswimwear, intercontinentalbarclayhotel. Have you ever noticed when you read the news
paper, all the ‘juicy’ stories are at the top, you know, above
where the fold is? Well, this is how you have to think when you are presenting
information on your site, you want the most important info to be right there,
up top, front and center to the viewers eye. prozoneairpurifiers. Navigation should be user friendly
and visitors should find it easy to get around your site. dentalhealthplans, aromaconvectionoven. Let’s not
make them dig for that important information they are looking for. antiandrogen, blueirisflowers.
• Fresh Content; You wouldn’t serve stale food
at a party would you? Well, not if you wanted your friends to come back to
the next gathering. realestateagency. It is important to keep your site fresh for your visitors,
and for engines actually, but on my note, it again, gives them reason to come
back to your site, if you are offering quality content, then they will be
eager to come back and see what’s new in your world. musiceditingsoftware, greatpyramids. This is where a
newsletter might come into consideration also, but again, that is not my topic
at hand. ficoscoremeaning, basementlighting. ? To learn more about fresh content and the effects on engines see
my friends SEO
Articles.
• Smart use of Graphics
The average surfer wont wait more than 20 seconds, if that, for your page
to load, so yes, images are nice, but if used execessively, or in large file
size, by the time it loads, the viewer will be gone. bonsaimaple, furniturecollection. This doesn’t mean
you have to have an essay of text, I mean, yes, we want to keep them at the
site, but not by result of them falling asleep from boredom. internalrevenuesevice, carpetinglowes. You want to add
images, just enough to catch attention, keep them interested. saunastlouis, southernflyingsquirrel. Yet, not over
done to the point that that message you are trying to get out is being blind
sided
• Interactivity Encourages viewer participation.
Whether its filling in a simple contact form, or having a weekly poll. ghettogaggerskia, afswheels. You
could certainly go into more depth, like forums and the like, but even the
small simple things work. silvercloud, fiberglasstrailertravel. You want your visitors to feel they are ‘part’
of the site; they have a purpose to being there.
• Your own Content No parrots or carbon copies please. redhuntinghat, wholesalenapkin, razorclamrecipes.
Always craft original and embracing content. childrenquotes. It is YOU and your personality
that will build the brand of your website.
Spend a lot of time trying to learn how to capture you're audience,
what is it that will make them remember you and more importantly, want to return
to your site. barkmagazine, syntheticcork, modernbedding. Don't present your site as you would a business idea
to one of your buddies at the water cooler, you need to really stop and think
how the customer is looking at it. traveltrailermanufacturers, lastseduction, handtherapy. This is one of those times you need to
think outside the box. electronicarts, roscoecrosby, parachuteproject. Once you feel you have conquered this obstacle,
grab a coffee, sit down and write it out, or, if you prefer, you can higher
a SEM team to do the
work for you.
Well that sums it up for my cooking lesson of the day. sunycobleskill, bluebirdhouses. Remembering, conjuring
up new design ideas (recipe) is great, just make sure you use all of the main
ingredients correctly.
About the Author
Tanya Crawford has been building Affordable
Custom Websites for more thna 8 years and is currently the President of
Verve Developments.. pastweatherforecasts, jupiterfloridarealtors
