Ringing in the New Year with Tips for Creating a Lasting Web Presence

So, you’ve found a web design firm and you’re thinking about bringing your business to the world of the Internet. Or, maybe you’re doing some research about creating a business that is designed to operate through a website and you’re considering jumping in the Interwebs in 2012. No matter what the case, there are certain strategies your organization should consider before creating a valuable and lasting Internet presence.

Value Proposition.

Your company should define how a website will add value to the organization. You should ask yourself questions such as, Will having information displayed over the Internet benefit the organization? Does having a website further enhance the value of my already stable business? Could a website boost the value of my stable or struggling business? Will having a website make my product easier to access and cheaper to distribute?

Revenue Model.

It is important to define questions associated with how your organization will receive revenue and profit through the website. You should ask, Will I need to set up advertising on a pay-per-click basis? Should I construct an e-commerce system? Will the having a website cut customer service costs and increase product availability?

Market Opportunity.

When focusing efforts on creating a website, you should pay attention to the overall financial opportunities associated with your market. Scope out the intended market and see what opportunities exist. Ask questions such as, Where does a website fit into my marketing plan? How can the website take advantage of opportunities within my specified market?

Marketing Strategy.

Develop a plan or strategy to market the findability of your website, as well as the product or service offered. Having a website no one uses is pointless and results in unnecessary costs. Questions to ask include, Will users or visitors be able to find my website? How will my company market itself over the Internet? Will I use organic SEO strategies or paid marketing strategies? What offline strategies will my organization use?  Should we use social media?

Competitive Environment.

Once you have found your market opportunity, you must conduct some research and find out what your competitive environment looks like.   Ask yourself, Who is my direct and indirect competition? And also inquire into how you will distinguish yourself from your competition by use of your website.

Competitive Advantage.

After determining who your competition is, the next step is to decide how a website can influence and create an advantage over competition. Ask yourself if your website will offer superior, easier-to-use, and seemingly better technology than a competitor’s?  Does your website contribute to lowering the cost of your product? Will your website distribute more relevant information than your competition?

And there you have it. Some of the most important questions organizations and businesses should ask themselves when creating a web presence. Remember, although it seems like a creating a website is a simple way to increase awareness of a business, organization, or product, many pieces have to come together to awaken a website’s potential. Using these six categories is a great starting point for your business.