The Three Elements You Must Have to Create a Successful Website

By Steve Melberg

No matter what business you operate – from the smallest mom and pop bakery to a multi-million dollar corporation – if you’re creating a website, then there are three components you must have to succeed.

Now, I’m not suggesting that the website for your local bakery will be identical to that of a large corporation. In fact, no two websites are alike in terms of their functionality and design.

Where they are alike, however is in the process used to create them, if they are to be successful. Whether you build a simple website yourself, or hire a professional to do it for you, these three components must exist in your development plan:

• Website Design – the “look and feel” of your website; how it appears to others and how well it encourages your visitors to become customers based on the strategic navigation plan created by the design.
• Website Development – the features and functionality of your website; how your prospects and clients will interact with your new site and the capabilities it will have.
• Website Promotion – the process of promoting your new site online so that when your prospects look for your services, they find you in the search engines. This process starts with keyword research and competitive analysis long before your site is even designed and continues throughout the entire creation process for your site.

It is imperative that you have all three! Often, a business owner will hire a web designer who can build a nice looking site. But, a web designer usually knows little about web promotion. So, the business owner winds up with a website that looks good but can’t be found in the search engines.

Only by making sure Design, Development and Promotion are considered as you build your site will you be guaranteed the successful site you are hoping to create.