1. Why do I need a “web strategy”? Isn’t it just good enough to have a web site?
Web strategy is the foundation of a successful business online. First, it means clarifying your business goals and determining which of these can be achieved online. It could mean you need a simple web site, or a social hub, or no website at all. It’s critically important to have a web strategy so you know how to best attain your desired business outcomes.
2. Do I need a blog too? What’s the difference between a blog and a web site? Do I need both?
A blog refers to a collection of articles or postings. It comes from the combination of two words: web log. With this in mind, a blog can stand alone, be part of a larger web site, or be part of a social media platform like Tumblr or Facebook.
Most businesses find a lot of value in having a blog because it’s a great way to leverage their knowledge, from written articles to pictures, to videos, to audio podcasts.
3. What’s the biggest mistake small businesses make when building a web site?
The biggest mistake that businesses make in building a website is not setting measurable goals to know if they’re successful.
This normally has two outcomes. One, the website becomes a sinkhole, where lots and lots of time is invested in the site but nothing occurs was a result. It’s like being on a treadmill: you’re not going anywhere, but you’re using lots of energy. Worse, because you’re spending so much time working on your site, you think it’s successful when it may not be at all.
Two, after a website is built with no goals or vision for a return on its investment, the site is left alone and rarely updated because its value is unclear. Both of these things happen when you don’t have a plan for your online presence.
4. What does SEO mean and why should I care?
SEO specifically means search engine optimization. In general, the practice of SEO means crafting your site’s content, structure, and code in a way that maximizes your ranking in search engines, like Google and Bing. SEO also extends to good offsite practices, like getting link backs to your site from other web sites. However, it’s important to remember the point of SEO is to gain more traffic to your website not just puff up your ranking. It may not be your best option for targeted website traffic. Again, it all depends on your business goals.
5. How does social media fit in with web strategy?
Social media allows us to use the web to engage with our audience in a more conversational manner , which may be a key objective in your web strategy. The thing about the web is that no one activity sits alone. Content development, design, SEO, and social media all cross paths in one way or another. It’s important to have a web strategy that brings together all the different part of your web presence so you can achieve real business outcomes.
Ron Sparks of Stratosphere Design helps companies use the Internet to communicate and sell by understanding where user experience meets business goals and how to wrap it all up in great design. Learn more about Ron here.
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Good thoughts, Bill. It’s easy to go charging into the web with no clarity of purpose, strategy or desired outcomes. This is a good reality check for how to do it right.