Here is a good article by Charlie Cook on what a website is supposed to do and if yours isn't then it's time to take a look at some suggestions he has to make it bring in the customers.

"Does your site pull in a steady steam of prospects, build your target list and supply you with both clients and income from product sales? If not, take a look at your site content, design and promotional strategy. With a little effort you can leverage your expertise, whether it's about the law, computers, design or writing to create a web site that works to educate your prospects and to grow your business."

Catch it @ http://www.smallbusinessbrief.com/articles/web_development/000977.html

It seems almost overwhelming all the aspects you need in a website to bring in the customers and keep them. How many of you have been able to built a successful site yourself? Did you use all the suggestions Charlie gave?

Linda,
Where's the article? It sounds like a good one but I missed a link to it...I could use that advice!

I am sorry about that..I am moving so fast with so much to do I forget to double check :D

So where does one find someone with this type of insight to build and host a website ? I am in the retirement planning business and I now have the duty of finding someone to build and host a great website.
Are there reccomendations from people here on this forum ?

Very nice article.

Teresa

>>>Why don't most web sites attract prospects, help convert them to clients or customers, or function as a source of revenue?

(Because websites aren't supposed to pull...they push. You ADVERTISE/MARKET the website so people can see it...if you don't have a high number of visitors why should it have any sales.)

>>>* Attract as many qualified prospects as possible

Websites do NOT attact customers...if you build it they will NOT come. Sell your website before your website can sell.

>>Its content that pulls. Just take a look at The Drudgereport. No flashy, fancy graphics; just straightforward content. Yet it pulls in over four and a half million hits each day, five and a half million per day during this past month and has made Matt Drudge millions of dollars.

The Drudgereport is a very very poor website...the found it impossible to navigate...and the very first thing you see on is an ad, not content. (anyone would...see for yourself...).

>>>Content brings customers to the site and keeps them there.

Hardly. No amount of content can overcome an impossible to navigate site.

The reason for the hits is becase he's a NATIONAL RADIO PERSONALITY FOR OVER TEN YEARS! IT'S PLUGGED AGAIN AND AGAIN to millions of people every single weekday.

Perhaps the author has lots of useful things to offer but for the sake of actually trying to help people I am asking that you think twice about what it says. (I am not a competitor and am not advertising any marketing services.)

Have to agree with ABiggerGuerrilla! Spot-on on your comments regarding that article. Although I have never heard of this article's author before, clicking on to his site brought back (the late) Corey Rudel and a whole string of other "internet gurus" to mind.

The sad thing is that these kind of articles have to be given their due credit. You have to admit it's written beautifully! I almost believe that outlined in the article are the secrets of making millions online or at least drawing in "four and a half million hits a day". Of-course the more and more you read this kind of article, you will begin to notice that it's the same message leading to a business program, course or other is that the key secrets promised or suggested are never really specified terms like "Content That Pulls" - it would be nice for this so called pulling content be specified so we can all cash in on it. Then you realize if we all use this so called content that pulls . . . it inevitably will stop being content that pulls, because we would all have access to it.

Which brings me to suggesting this of all people wanting to design a website, who are researching all these programs, sales letters and so on online to assist themselves, especially in regards to this article the tips may very well be justified, but after noting down those points listed such as in this case:

Content > Navigation > Marketing

Have a look and use your common sense is the above any thing all revealing? Not really, BUT the article did pull you to click on a link didn't it? Now if this nonsense is content that pulls (which it is, if you clicked on a link) then you really don't have too much work ahead of you. But now you have 3 other terms to do searches on for further lists of secrets pertaining to each of those subjects.

Something to think about . . . and happy searching!

Ishan.

This article, plus your feedback is great information. We need more suggestions/ comments and critiques about what is out there.

We have managed to achieve a ranking of 5, as well as have our items show in a good position on Google, Froogle, MSN and Yahoo - yet the traffic still isn't to where we want it to be.

We have been advertising in local media (unfortunately that means Canada - where most buyers and sellers appear to be in the US) and you wonder what stops people from coming to your web pages.

I would love to hear more ideas and comments on this topic.

I think the biggest problem is that the web audience is world wide as opposed to say the local pizza shop where they set up a store in a hot location and wait for customers to come in - along with a few simple flyers to the door twice a year and a spot in the local phone book, their advertising is done. Mmmmm, maybe I should open a pizza shop? Or perhaps a Tim Hortons coffee shop next to Starbucks in New York?

Content > Navigation > Marketing

Have a look and use your common sense is the above any thing all revealing? Not really, BUT the article did pull you to click on a link didn't it? Now if this nonsense is content that pulls (which it is, if you clicked on a link) then you really don't have too much work ahead of you. But now you have 3 other terms to do searches on for further lists of secrets pertaining to each of those subjects.

Something to think about . . . and happy searching!

Ishan.

I think the article did a good job and in many areas I agree with the author. I've seen the prettiest sites fail miserably because there is no content (or the content is obscured in graphics). I've seen websites with great navigation fail to sell because there is so little content that the message is ignored. I think you nailed it in your flow... content > navigation > marketing.

In 840 words, the author offered some good advice. I would have a very hard time covering as much information with so few words. Offering rich content will bring people to your site who were not necessarily on your radar as a customer. Having enough content on your website can allow your existing and prospective customer a glimpse into your expertise, knowledge, integrity, and commitment.

I am also in agreement with the comments here. You can publish reams of content but if it isn't linked, referenced, marketed, referred and/or indexed, it will never be seen. If you publish 2000 wonderfully written pages without a method of navigating it, then your efforts would be futile.

Here's a thought: A website with 2000 pages and no effective navigation can be fixed with a simple site map... but a website with no content and great navigation system is still a website with no content.

I think the article did a great job of underscoring the importance of content. While I may not agree with his priorities, I do think content is an important element of a successful website. I speak from experience in that I build, host and maintain websites with >2800 pages and as few as one page. Bottom line in my opinion, it just depends on the purpose of the website.