By: Charles McElhose Jr.

Introduction
Not too long ago, very few people knew or understood what http:// or .com meant. Today they have literally become a part of the everyday American household's vocabulary. Even people, who don't personally own a computer, now know what it means to 'surf the web'. What made this change occur so quickly? Acknowledgement of the Internet's potential by the business world. Corporate America suddenly woke up to the possibilities the Internet, or more specifically the World Wide Web, could offer both their customers and their own profit margins, and flooded us with an advertising blitz of .com's.

However, while almost everyone may know about the web to some degree, there are still a lot of businesses that have not yet jumped onto the wave of firms establishing a web presence. If you're reading this, you're probably one of them. You may even already have a website, but are frustrated because it's not working the way you thought it would. If so, you are one of the many 'dot coms' facing these problems. If you're in either of these situations you can take comfort in the fact that there are a lot of people who know about the web, but have no idea how to make it work for their business or how to set realistic targeted goals for business or organizational websites. The good news is this article may be able to help you to better understand the larger issues and put everything into perspective.

The first question you should answer:
'Why Do I Need a Website?'
It is very important to note that many firms have failed to bother examining this question. The answer to this question is dependent on the nature of your business or organization. While an attempt at making a comprehensive list of all possible answers is impossible, the vast majority of firms should fall under at least one of the following four answers:

Nearly everyone can associate with the first answer. In fact, this is the most common reason people pursue establishing a web presence. While it isn't exactly a bad reason, it should not be your only reason. Having been told this, your next question is probably 'Why?' The answer is that this goal tends to lack focus. Many firms fail in their web endeavors because of this. Firms often don't analyze their goals any further, and then fail to understand why their website isn't performing for them.

With the two most common causes of failure identified, (1. Not examining the reasons to have a website. & 2. Not going any deeper than saying you want/need a website because you want to keep up with the competition.) it is critical to acknowledge that the answer to the original question is dependent on the nature of your business or organization.

If you're trying to sell products and services then you might think about any combination of purposes 1,2,3,and 4. Suppose you focus on purpose #2. You may want to include information to establish your businesses credentials, show a portfolio, and generally help potential customers to learn about you in a non-pressure environment. If you're selling memberships to a community organization or a business like a health-spa, then maybe 3 is more in tune to your business as you might want to put up information for your members to access, in order to add to the value of their memberships.

The major point being made here is that you need to focus your thoughts to decide not only if you need a website, but also what you intend to do with it!

How Do I Make it Succeed?
Hopefully by this point you're starting to realize that it takes some real thought and planning into establishing a web presence. Now you might wonder is there some secret to making it succeed? The answer is yes. Success is dependant on your definition of it!

Start the process by setting realistic goals for your website. Don't expect that it is just going to make you millions of dollars or have thousands of visitors a week right away because it probably will not. Reconsider the four general purposes for a website identified above. They are your keys to developing your goals and thus your definition of success. Build on these starting points and categorize your goals. Examples categories might include monetary goals, traffic goals, and customer assistance goals.

While Firm X's goals may seem simple or even low, they are very realistic because it is possible to meet or even exceed them.

While you might like to set your sights higher than Firm X did, you also need to know what else you have to do to increase your chances of meeting your website goals.

How Can I Make Sure the Site Will be Good?
A good website is one that is visually appealing, serves a purpose your customers or members can understand, and is easy to use. This sounds simple, but take a look at the sites you like to visit and compare them to those you find unappealing. The key difference is that probably 99% of the time the best sites were designed by qualified professionals. What this means to you is you will need to comparison shop for web designers/developers. It is vital to note that I don't just mean price! Price, of course, will be a factor you have to consider.

Before you entrust anyone with the responsibility of creating a website that will function as a marketing tool and will present your professional image to the world, stop and consider the following question: "Do they have the design and marketing savvy to create a website that will properly portray and even enhance your businesses image?"

It is important to recognize that you can find good developers that know what they are doing and can work closely to your budget. Going for the lowest price is almost always the worst mistake that you can make. A bargain price for a poorly designed site that doesn't work is not a bargain at all! Remember that your website is an extension and a representation of your firm! If your site looks bad or works inefficiently than people will think that is the way your business operates.

It is also interesting to note that the highest price does not guarantee the best quality! Price cannot be your sole decision gauge in selecting a developer. The process of determining who should design or develop your website is not a simple one. However, don't fret because a guide is just below. Before reviewing the guide to selecting a developer, there is one other area you must address if you want to produce a good website, content.

Good content is one of the most important keys to a good website, and you're responsible for creating it. You will have to think about the right things to say about your firm to help your site serve its purpose. You need to sit down and consider how to break down all of the information you would like to present and write it effectively. The good news is that a professional design firm can and will help you in this area as a part of their consultation. Helpful suggestions on how to organize your content and perhaps even assistance with the actual write-up of your content should be services your designer can offer. However, keep in mind that only you know your firm the best, so your role is critical to the successful creation of your website's content.

With so Many Web Developers out There, How Can I determine who the Real Professionals Are?
The trick to answering this question is to be educated. While I personally think you don't need to search any further than ME Solutions, there are two basic things you should learn, the right things to look for, and the right questions to ask.

In Summary

With the right information and a skilled professional Web Designer, you can ultimately succeed with your web endeavors.