• What is the purpose of the website? To make a sale? To educate?
• How will you reach this goal? What valuable information will you provide them with to ultimately gain their interest? You must provide visitors with information that they want, in an easy-to-follow manner, in order for them to take a step closer to becoming your customer.
• What is the message of the site? To show them you're an expert and worth hiring? To show off a product or service?
• Who are you trying to reach? The look and feel of the site will play a large role in who you attract.

WHAT IS THE SITE CONTENT
All of your site content should be organized in a fashion that leads visitors to your ultimate goal, such as a sale. Some of your site content will lead directly to a sale, such as an order form. Other parts of your site will be designed to lead up to a sale, by convincing them that your product or service will meet their needs. And still other parts may be information that you would like to share because it adds value to your site and attracts visitors. Here are some things to think about when deciding upon your content:

• Think about the categories you wish to cover within your website. What do you want to tell your market? This information is crucial in structuring your site. For example: Information about your Products/Services, Customer Service, Educational Aspects of your business, Location if you are trying to attract visitors to your area, Ordering Information, your Expertise, your Company History, etc.
• Who does your site need to serve or appeal to? Will there be a section for different types of buyers or clientele? Will there be employees using the site?
• What information will be of interest to your market and keep them coming back to your site?

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR DESIGNER
Follow these steps to a successful designer/client website meeting:

• Spend some time before meeting with your designer reviewing websites on the internet.
• Write down a list of sites that you like and don't like, and why, so that your designer can have a more accurate idea of your taste.
• Create a rough flow chart of information that you wish to convey through your website. Your designer can help you refine this and make it web-friendly.
• Have an idea of what your budget allows: do you want to have a large, comprehensive site with a full search engine package and professional illustration, or will a smaller, efficient website be effective to start with?
• Let your designer know your plans: knowing how the website needs to grow is an important aspect of planning the initial website design.

PROMOTING YOUR WEBSITE
An effective marketer uses every newsworthy opportunity to outreach to their market. The completion of a new website is a great reason to touch base with old clients, and outreach to new ones. This can take the form of any of the following for starters:

• Direct mail or postcards announcing your new site
• An email sent to your mailing list
• Advertising in the local paper
• Search engines packages
• Website promotions such as giveaways or a "What's New" page
• and much much more...

Dayzign Graphics is happy to discuss with you many creative ideas that go hand-in-hand with promoting your website. Just ask. For proper planning, have a good idea of what your budget will allow. You may consider sitting down with Dayzign to plan a year-long campaign. Or, for a more thorough analysis of your company's marketing needs, Dayzign can refer you to a marketing firm.

Contact Dayzign for more ideas on creating the perfect website for your business, or for a complementary estimate today.

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