Here's are a few questions that, once answered, will help ensure that your Web site's message is as appealing as its design. Go over these points with designer before design process begins as answers will help determine direction your Web site's design should take.

What Is The Purpose Of Your Web Site? Most business Web sites have two purposes: (1) to educate consumer and, (2) to sell them products or services. If you sell shoes, for example, purpose of your Web site is to educate potential customers on quality and durability of your shoes and as a result, to sell them shoes. If you paint houses purpose of your Web site is to educate home owners on why your services are superior to other painters and sell them on hiring you to paint their house. By defining purpose of your Web site you will give designer information required to create a Web site that best conveys that purpose to your target audience.

Who Is My Target Audience? Your target audience consists of those folks you want to attract to your Web site: potential and current customers, future and current employees, possible investors, etc. Anyone who might be interested in your company and its products or services is a member of your target audience. Correctly identifying your target audience is vital since your Web site should be designed specifically to appeal to your target audience.

Put yourself in their shoes (or in front of their computers). Imagine your Web site through their eyes. If you were visiting a Web site such as yours what would you expect to find and what would you be disappointed not to find? Identify your target audience, then have your Web site designed to fulfill their needs and surpass their xpectations.

What Content Should My Web Site Feature? Your Web site content should be driven by nature of your business. If you're a real estate agent, your site should feature photographs of homes you have for sale and information on buying and selling a home. If you own an auto body shop, your site might feature before and after photographs of cars that you have repaired. Remember to determine purpose of your site, then develop content to serve that purpose. What's My Competition Doing? The last question you should ask is one of most important: What is your competition doing on Web? Do a Google search for similar businesses and click around their Web sites. How are their Web sites designed? What message are they trying to convey? Are they doing a good job of conveying that message and as a result, selling products? What do you like about their Web sites? What don't you like? Make note of things you like and things you hate, then share your findings with your site designer.

Remember, you're not stealing trade secrets here.

You're just borrowing ideas.

Here's to your success.

Tim Knox tim@dropshipwholesale.net For information on starting your own online or eBay business, visit http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

Let me clarify one point: I am not saying that you should put all your efforts into selling your wares over Internet, though if your product lends itself to easy online sales, you certainly should be considering it.

The point to be made here is that you should at very least have a presence on World Wide Web so that customers, potential employees, business partners, and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and products or services you have to offer.

That said, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional looking website if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick and mortar store, your website may be first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your website looks like it was designed by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.

One of great things about Internet is that it has leveled playing field when it comes to competing with big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression and with a well-designed website, your little operation can project image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them.

You also mention that yours is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you are a one-man show or a ten thousand employee corporate giant; if you do not have a website you are losing business to other companies that do. Here's exception to my rule: It's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad.

Your website speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful website for our customers!" or it says, "Hey, look, I let my ten-year old nephew design my site! Good luck finding anything!"

What does your website say about your business?

Here's to your success.

Tim Knox tim@dropshipwholesale.net For information on starting your own online or eBay business, visit http://www.dropshipwholesale.net