Our checklists will help you to decide exactly what you need to make the most of your internet presence.  We don't believe in hitting a nail with an anvil, so we don't plan on trying to sell you anything beyond your needs.

How to decide what kind of website you'll need.

It's important to know who your website traffic is likely to be and how you can best approach them before you begin planning your website.  It's also important to identify the sort of information you want to convey to these users in order to quickly catch their attention and prevent them from clicking on to your competitors.  Do this from the start and your website will be a success. Fail to plan and you will be left wondering why you are slipping further and further down in search engine rankings.

Who are your customers?

Do you have a physical business address?

Do you have an established business with a customer base that has been built off the internet?

Will you be driving traffic towards your website from other sources, or will you be using your website to drive traffic towards your business?

Do you plan on having static information available online so the customers you source via other means (eg advertising), or do you want to build your customer base via your website?  This is a factor many businesses don't consider and it greatly changes how your website should be set up.  Having static, unchanging pages hurts your search engine rankings so if you are relying on your website to drive traffic to your business, you will need to consider options such as articles, blogs or dynamic pages to keep the information fresh and ensure that search engines know you have new information to share.

Will you be selling directly from your website?

And if so, are you selling goods or services that can be purchased directly online, without having to talk to a customer service rep?

If you aren't directly selling a product or service, how do you wish to engage users?

Are you giving free information (eg via blog posts or articles) and want passive advertising, or will you offer free or paid membership to build your user database, or do you want to offer a place of discussion (ie a forum or community board), or include a free or paid directory, or a combination  of these features?

Once these targeted users have found your website, what do you want them to do?

Do you want them to read your information, share your information with others, contact you for further information, request membership or a combination of these things?

Will you be sending newsletters out to website users?

Do you plan on offering specials or information only to members, or provide customer support or a community newsletter?