Web Site or Web Business?

As of April 1, 2007, there are over 87 million domains registered in the Whois database.*
Owning a web site is easy. Growing a web business takes time, consistency, and dedication.  

Business owners must make a decision.
Are you simply owning a web site just because everyone says you need one? Or are you consciously taking steps to build a resource for your audience? Your web site is an investment in your business that, if built correctly and marketed well, could prove financially beneficial and grow to be a reliable source of information. For some I may be preaching to the choir, however, for many I am putting you in the spotlight to scrutinize how you are conducting your business online and giving you a candid view of what you need to address to be productive.

Competing on the internet requires more than just a web presence.
Basic pages went out of style long ago, and today you're challenged to bring content and uniqueness to the table. Yet, many still masquerade as productive Netizens, handing out business cards proudly with a something-dot-com plastered across the bottom, but providing little to no representation of a content-rich display. Flashing, blinking, swirling things may catch the attention of some but few will stay after the psychedelic show is over. It's entertaining at first, but then if you have to distract people into buying your product or service it probably isn't worth buying.

Junk In. Junk Out.
How much time are you spending on your web site? Are you updating it frequently, or have you left it to become stale and insignificant over time? Whichever is your answer, it will show in the results of your customer base and your sales. People don't like to see stale information. When you build your site, your maintenance plan is just as important as the build itself. As your information becomes stagnant and monotonous, you should be driven to change it on a regular basis. If you are tired of looking at the same page, your customers probably feel the same way.  A classic case of getting out what you put in, web sites don't lie and neither does customer activity. Find the problems and fix them. They won't go away if you do nothing, but your customers will.

Your Web Site is Not for You.
When you shop for an outfit, you typically buy what you like and what you think looks good on you. Newsflash - Your web site is not an outfit, and it's not for you. Your web site is for your customers, and your focus should be on what they want and need to see. If you can honestly look at your page today and say that you have provided a customer-focused representation of your products and services, then great for you. If you can't, you need to evaluate what you've put on the internet, for all to see, and determine how you can move forward with some corrections or additions. Reading your material from a customer's point of view will shed light on the problem areas.

Ask and You Shall Receive...
Having a bad presence is considerably worse than having no presence at all. How are your sales? Are people coming to your site but not following your call to action? Do you even have a call to action? Asking for a customer's business by demonstrating your ability to satisfy their needs requires that you actually ASK for their business, their money or their participation. If you're not asking, then you probably aren't getting it. On the other hand, if you are asking and it isn't happening, maybe you should consider changing how you are asking. Your colors, the mood of the site, and the actual words that you use to describe your products and services are key to sweeping a customer off their feet. Consider the overall message you are sending, how you are sending it, and look at your web statistics. Most of what you need to make a difference will be right in front of you.

Use the excitement. Lose the hype.
Be excited about your products and services, and be ready to give your 5 minute speech about your business at the drop of a dime. If you're not excited about it no one else will be either. Conversely, don't hype yourself or your business so much that people can't clearly understand your true value proposition. All anyone wants to know is "What's in this for me?". If you have no value proposition, or not a very good one, consider changing your presentation - both online and offline. The whole purpose of doing business is to give someone what they need, so they can give you what you want. How you win the customer depends on how well you deliver your message. Enthusiasm and a good value proposition is a winning combination. Hype is simply a smokescreen for a questionable value proposition.

Every day is a new chance to be more than just another web site.
87 million domains and counting. The bigger the internet gets, the smaller the world becomes, and your chances of standing out from the crowd get slimmer. Owners of simple web sites will not last in a global market that offers 80 million other options. Web Business Owners, who create opportunities for themselves, aren't concerned.  Remember, Web Business Ownership is a choice, not an option by default just because you bought a web domain.

By committing to web business ownership and a making consistent effort to building and growing your business, you can achieve your goals for financial prosperity, increase your marketability, and actively promote your value proposition. Start today by educating yourself, networking with others, and observing how the successful people are doing it.

The Web Business Ownership web site provides insight and information that will help. Visit us at http://www.webbusinessownership.com

*Statistics provided by DomainTools.com