You’re starting a business, and you know you need a website, because everyone has an online presence these days. But maybe your knowledge stops right there. Chances are you only know that you can put your website address on your shiny new business card, and maybe add it to your email signature,
This is where many of us start. Getting started is an achievement in itself (yay!), but you can soon feel that you run around like a headless chicken, having no idea of things like:
- When you should start focusing on your website
- What your website needs to convert visitors to clients
- How to attract visitors to your website once it’s launched
Many new business owners are confused and overwhelmed in the beginning. It’s completely normal, but a crucial part of online business success is to get clarity on how it all hangs together, and in which order to do things, to make sure you invest yor time and money wisely.
This blog focuses how the website fits into the big picture, and what you need to think of:
- Before you start building your website, to ensure you are ready for…
- When you start building your website, and what you need to do…
- After your website is launched to attract the clients
To make the journey clearer, I created this:
Step by step checklist around the planning and building of your online business website:
Step 1 – Answer these two questions
- What do you do (your service/the specific problem you solve)?
- Who do you do it for (your target market/niche and ideal client)?
First when you have this important part clear, then move on to step 2.
Step 2 – Preparing your content, which has the best impact when you base it on your market research
- What is the biggest frustration of the people in your niche/your ideal client?
- What is the ideal solution that they are willing to pay for?
- What can you offer them as a freebie/lead magnet to make it tempting for them to sign up for your mailing list?
You can find a series of blog posts about market research and page content here.
Step 3 – Start building the website
- Do it yourself, or have a web designer do it for you.
- You’ll want to check out these blog posts before making up your mind:
- Learn how to plan your a website
- My Website Planner is a good start
- Also my 5-Day Website Strategy Challenge will give you great insights
Step 4 – Website launch – it’s time to spread the word!
- Take advantage of social media to attract attention to your website
- Post links to your website and blog posts on your chosen social media platforms and in relevant online groups if appropriate
- Tell people about your resources, offers etc. and link back to your website
- Be active in online groups where your target market hangs out
- Tell people what you do in networking events and exchange contact information
- Ask friends and relatives to tell everyone they know
Step 5 – Build your mailing list (= collect email addresses!)
- Tell people about your freebie/lead magnet
- On social media
- At networking events
- In the content of your blog posts
- Organize workshops (bring value in exchange for email addresses)
- Organize webinars (bring value in exchange for email addresses)
Keep in mind to not add people to your mailing list without their permission. For webinars and workshops, let them know that signing up will also automatically add them to your mailing list.
Step 6 – Start offering products and services
- Your free services (with call to actions and information about your paid services)
- Blog
- Resources
- Webinars
- Your paid services
- Your main service
- Smaller products or services related to your main service
- Programs and e-courses
- Workshops
With these last 3 steps you will grow your group of fans and followers, which eventually will lead to the main goal: Paying clients 🙂
And a good first step to get an overview of what your website is about, you can learn by reading my Website Planner.
You can get it here ↓
Good luck!
If you decide you need help building a client attracting website, then I’m happy to have a chat with you 🙂 Write me a message!
Super helpful! Thanks so much for sharing these tips, always difficult to get started.
Glad it was useful for you!
Great checklist! I launched my fashion and lifestyle blog not too long ago and I’m glad that I didn’t miss any of these steps 🙂
Well done Mariuxi! 🙂
Great advice! Wish I had this straight-forward list when I started out 🙂
Thanks Sarita 🙂
This is a great resource, thank you! Going to pin this so I can check back to it when I want to expand to the next step. Thanks again!
Glad it was helpful! Feel free to reach out if you need any help when you move forward 🙂