If you are going to build an online presence, shouldn't you know why?
Was it because you thought having a website was the 21st century equivalent of a winning Power ball ticket? Or even better yet, the infamous million dollar baseball card (courtesy of the Video Professor commercials) that you could sell on eBay?
There are a few main reasons for a website to exist:
- to directly make money,
- to help prepare you or increase your chances to make money,
- to educate people and share information, or
- for the sheer heck of it, pure entertainment purposes - even if the only person entertained is you.
Let's go ahead and agree to dismiss #4. Nothing wrong with it, it's just not why we are here.
But wait - you can actually make money off all 4. Yes, it's true. If you entertain people you can actually make money by doing so. (But you do need more than just yourself to go to the site).
How?
Think about it. Have you ever gone to buy a car (or any other product or service, no offense meant to anyone in the auto industry) but as you drive into the lot, you get that certain familiar pit in your stomach? That's because at some point in your life, you felt like someone tried to influence your purchasing decision in an uncomfortable manner. Think of the classic, stereotypical used car salesman. Fast talking, loud and pushy. Even if you were totally convinced you wanted to buy that car on the lot, you just didn't feel great about the transaction. You felt like you got sold.
This is where the whole idea of knowing where you want to end before you begin comes in.
If your purpose is to convince someone to take action on the internet, you need to understand what is the most powerful way to do so.
Entertainment is a great way to sell things. Think of a concert. After seeing a great show, you might just be ready to buy the CD, the artist's t-shirt, or who knows what as you walk out the door of the venue. "In exchange for you entertaining me, I will do something you want me to do. And that is to buy what I want to buy (which happens to be exactly what you are selling)."
Education is also a powerful influencer. In fact, it is perhaps the most important influencer on the internet. Think of Consumer Reports. After reading about the latest, best, most powerful, easiest to operate thingamajob online....doesn't that validate your logical next step, which is to buy the item that you were researching? "No pushy salesmen here, I am too smart for that. I know exactly what I want to buy because I have done my homework. Ha - I have outsmarted those crafty marketers"....but have you?
Increasing your chances to make money online - it's deceptively straightforward but not totally simple. Think of research but now let's call it surfing the web. And after you have surfed all over the internet about a topic, you now decide you want more information. So, you fill out that little harmless, it's-just-my-email address line requesting more information. You have now done the equivalent of raising your hand in the world's largest class to be called upon. And when that email arrives in your inbox, or that calls comes in on your wireless phone, you have just entered into the world of shameless internet marketing. Nothing sold here yet (we'll change our opinion on this oversimplified statement in the near explanation rich future), but you have given permission to someone to try and sell you something. But remember, you asked for it, so you're not totally getting sold a bill of goods just yet. But if you are the website owner, you now have a bonafide lead, and increased your chances to make money online. "Hi, I am ready to buy and/or be sold to...please contact me...".
Lastly, the site in which you sell stuff to people and directly make money, nothing wrong with that. Pretty straightforward.
SO, back to the original question, what's your purpose? And based on your purpose, are we building a stage (entertainment), research lab / classroom (education), taking a number in line(waiting for next steps to occur) or store (sell stuff, make money)?
Knowing what you are trying to do online is half the battle. Then building the right site and getting people there is the other half.....so be sure to begin with the end in mind and you will find your choices become much clearer and easier for you to act upon. And while I know this seems fairly common sense based, I am always amazed when people don't really understand what their online goal is.
