Home
>
Web Development
>
Five Essential Questions to Answer Before Creating Your First (or second...or third) Website

Five Essential Questions to Answer Before Creating Your First (or second...or third) Website

Right after the thought, "I need a website," people usually say, "I need a web designer!" Actually, before even whispering "web design," you need to answer these five questions in as much detail as possible. Once you're clear on your strategy, you can provide better information to your web designer. And most likely you'll be pleased with your new home on the web.

1. What is the purpose of your website?

When you're well-known through face-to-face contacts, your website will serve as an additional source of information to potential customers. You may need only a basic "calling card" site: a list of contact information, coming appearances and basic brochure copy.

On the other hand, your website may be your primary revenue source. In that case, you'll need to direct visitors to your "for sale" section and come up with a plan to take their money. You'll need a shopping cart and perhaps a merchant account.

2. Who will be your ideal target market?

Draft at least two hundred words describing your ideal client. Where does he live, work and play? Where does she eat and shop? What are your client's goals and hobbies? You're the psychologist: create as many details as possible. Some copywriters recommend assigning your target a name so you can see the person behind the credit card.

3. What action do you want everyone to take?

Your home page copy drives your website visitors to a clear, unambiguous target. Keep them on your site as long as possible and suggest a specific action. Buy an ebook. Sign up for your ezine. Sign your guest book. Make it easy for visitors to take this action, placing forms and links right on your home page.

4. How will you maintain your site?

Many new website owners budget the cost of web design and a year of web hosting. But that's only the beginning. A website that's unchanged will grow cobwebs. It's easy to tell when you've landed on a website where nobody's home. Something's broken. The whole place looks abandoned.

You'll need to replace broken links, fix spelling errors, add updates to your schedule, and a whole lot more. And in my experience, your website will look different after five or six months. Time for a new overhaul! That's why I say, "You need to become your own web designer, marry your web designer, or be prepared to pay."

5. How will you promote your site?

A website without promotion is like a 747 flying around the world without any passengers: expensive and useless! You can write articles as free content, swap links and submit your site to the search engines. Fill your website with content, update the content regularly, and write your copy with an eye to your keywords.

You'll have to budget time for promotion or hire an assistant. Planning ahead can help you create a website that makes your job easier.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" http://www.cathygoodwin.com

Contact: http://www.cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

spotless home service Lake Forest ..

In The News:

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

Moving and downsizing expose seniors to identity theft and scams as data brokers collect real estate records and personal information to sell to criminals.

ShengShu's Vidar technology revolutionizes humanoid robot training by using AI-generated synthetic video, reducing required training data from hours to just 20 minutes.

Apple's older Mac computers face security risks without regular updates, but 10 essential tips including FileVault encryption and strong passwords can keep aging Macs protected.

Self-driving trucks from PlusAI could reshape freight transportation by 2027, addressing driver shortages and reducing logistics costs for businesses.

Solar farms are turning to sheep instead of mowers to cut grass under solar panels, lowering costs, reducing emissions and creating new income for farmers.

Fraudsters posing as local officials are making fake calls about missed jury duty, demanding payments in a rising scheme that exploits fear of arrest.

Honeywell Aerospace engineers developed a "surface alert system" that gives pilots two aural warnings when they are 15 and 30 seconds away from a collision on the runway.

Anonymous researcher has scraped public Spotify accounts of politicians and celebrities, highlighting major privacy risks in default platform settings.

AI chatbot toys marketed as screen-free playmates could undermine children's empathy and critical thinking skills, according to pediatric specialists.

TransUnion confirms a major data breach affecting 4.4 million U.S. consumers after hackers exploited third-party Salesforce apps to steal personal info.

Scammers use fake DocuSign emails claiming Apple Pay charges to steal personal information using fraudulent phone numbers and fake receipts.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Farmers Insurance confirms data breach affecting over 1.1 million customers nationwide, exposing customer info including addresses.

The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.

Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.

Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.

Five Essential Questions to Answer Before Creating Your First (or second...or third) Website

Web Development