There are only 2 types of web site on the Internet
- active and passive. The difference? One makes money and the other
doesn't.
The more people I meet over the Internet, the more
I realize why people aren't successful at turning a profit with their
web sites. From what I have seen, most people have built passive web
sites and they just sit back and wait for the orders to come in.
You see, I define a "passive" web site as a site that
is put on the Internet and that's about it. The owner just sits back
and expects the profits to come rolling on in. I don't have to tell
you that this is not to way to sell on the Internet!
People who run what I define as "active" web sites
have a totally different approach to selling on the web. And, they
are typically bringing in respectable profits as a result. The difference
is that these people are active in their marketing efforts. They update
their web sites often, and they take specific actions to make sure
people know that their web site exists and why it's important for
their prospects to visit their site.
Which type of web site do you run?
If you're running a passive web site today, the good
news is that it's easy to turn your web site into an active web site.
The tools to help you to do it are readily available and they are
not difficult to understand or use.
Let's take a look at what you can do today to turn
your web site form a cash-eater to a profit center!
First, when was the last time you updated your web
site? If you have not touched your web site in the last 6 weeks, it's
time to update it! Keep in mind that the Internet is an active form
of media, and if you don't update your web pages regularly, people
simply won't come back to your site - in the same way that you wouldn't
watch the same episode of your favorite sitcom over and over again.
So get out a pen and some paper. Now ask yourself
this question: what is the reason that I have a web site? In other
words, what is your web site working to accomplish for you.
For some people their web site is there to sell products
or services. For others, their web site might be more of an outlet
for distributing information to either customers or members.
Why do you have or want a web site?
Once you know the answer to that question, the next
question I would ask you is; are you realizing your purpose with your
current web site?
If you answered "no" to this question, you may want
to keep reading, as this article is specifically for you.
With your pen and paper, not your computer, write
down the main purpose for your web site at the top of a blank sheet
of paper. Now, draw a circle about the size of a silver dollar in
the middle of the page. This circle will represent your home page.
Now, what are the different functions your web site
must offer if it is to effectively serve your purpose? Do you need
an online catalog section, a customer service section, a news section,
or how about a section called "resources?"
As you come up with each of the sections you'll need
on your web site, just draw a box next to your home page circle on
your paper and title each box with the focus of each section.
For instance, if you need a catalog, draw a box and
title it "catalog." Once you have made a box, draw a line "linking"
that box back to the home page, if that is how the user will get to
this page.
There is no need to be neat here. Draw your boxes
on all sides of the circle, just like a spider web, if you will. And
leave room to draw boxes under and/or beside the boxes you are now
drawing. Then simply link all the boxes to their appropriate places
by drawing lines between the boxes.
This is what I call the "working web" diagram. It's
how I start every web project and it's how you should begin your web
projects as well. It will help you see your web site from a whole
new perspective.
Remember, the flow of your web site is very important,
and this simple exercise will help you to design the flow of your
web site quickly and easily.
Now, under the box you drew for your catalog section,
for example, what catalog areas will you have to build?
Make a new box under the main catalog box for each
catalog area. You could even go further at this point and draw a box
for each product in every catalog area, but it could get too cumbersome
and isn't usually necessary.
Now just do the same thing with each section of your
web site until you have carefully thought out and planned each section
carefully. Take your time. This is the most important part of building
your web site.
The next step is to actually build this web site.
Get help with it, if you need it, but build it. And remember, it's
more important to stay true to your original layout than it is to
play to your skill level. In other words, if you don't know how to
do certain things technically, yet you feel it would be better to
have it then not, get help! Never let the technical stuff get in the
way of your marketing efforts!
Great! Let's say that at this point your web site
is built. Now, it's really nothing more than a passive web site at
this point, right? Of course it is since we haven't taken any form
of action to market it in any way!
Get out a fresh sheet of paper. At the top of the
page write the words, "Marketing Plan." This sheet will serve as your
marketing planner for your web site. In the middle of the page, once
again, draw a circle just as you did before.
Now in this circle, what you want to do is put in
the words "web site orders." Now, if you also take orders over the
telephone, you may want to draw a circle next to the other one and
all it "telephone orders." Or if you also take orders through the
mail, you could add a third circle.
Now around the circle or circles, you want to again
draw some boxes and give them titles. What are some ways you can draw
traffic to your web site?
How about writing and distributing a press release?
If that's an option, draw a box and title it "press release."
How about writing an article? If that's an option,
again, make a box and title it, "article."
This process will help you to see a variety of ways
to create sales on your web site. Now, from each box, I draw an arrow
to either the "web site order" circle or the "telephone order" circle.
In some cases it may result in either a web site purchase or a telephone
order, so I will draw arrows to each circle to indicate where that
order might be placed.
On a typical marketing plan diagram, I will have anywhere
from 10 to as many as 35 different marketing channels from which sales
will come. These can include; press releases, classified ads in e-zines,
e-books giveaways, seminars, teleconferences, reciprocal web site
links, banner ads, display ads, search engine submissions, newsletters,
direct mail, etc.
The goal here is to be as creative and playful as
possible. You really want to fill up your page with at least 10 channels
of marketing so that you have a number of ways that you will drive
traffic to your web site.
Once your marketing planner is complete, you can get
more specific on each area and put in the title and release date,
for example, of your first press release. You could write a list of
places you'd ideally like to run classified ads, or which groups you
can speak to about your product or service.
The key to keep in mind here is that you don't need
to know what you are going to say, who you are going to say it to,
or how you will find these groups in the first place. Keep your focus
on the horizon, not on the pebbles along the way. If you know what
you really want, you'll always find a way to get it!
If you've spent the time to really build your marketing
planner, what you'll have in your hands is the key to your Internet
marketing success! What you'll create as you put these things into
action is an active profit center on the Internet. A profit center
that will bring you sales 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Now I ask you, isn't that why you are on the Internet
in the first place?
