Planning, Developing, and Promoting Successful Small Business Websites

Table of Contents

A website is a tool to facilitate business. The Internet has proven to be one of the most useful, far-reaching tools of this era, and can be used to leverage the assets of a business if used appropriately. Small businesses have the ability to compete with larger companies on a global level if they plan, develop, and promote their websites effectively.

The creation of a website includes three phases that are essential for success. Any business that hopes to use the new medium of the Internet successfully must adequately plan, develop, and promote their website consistently with the strategic goals of the business. A website is the only medium that allows a business the luxury of tracking and measuring nearly every aspect of the project. A website should be subject to the same cost/ benefit analysis that every other area of a business is subject to. It is important to create metrics to measure the success of a site by following the proper protocol for each phase of the website creation process.

Each phase website of creation is dependent on the others to attain constant improvement and success. “Success” is a somewhat relative term that literally means “the achievement of something planned.” (dictionary.com). Comprehensive planning is vital to the proper development of a website, and a website can only be considered a success if it accomplishes the goals set in place, of which the most important is reaching and retaining users. Website promotion is essential to reaching these targeted users, and can only be accomplished properly with adequate planning and development. It is easy to see how each phase of the website creation process is reliant on the other phases. Achieving success for a website requires the proper considerations for each of the three phases. This paper will discuss the methodology and considerations for each phase in the website creation process.

Appendices
(All in a single document) Appendix 1-1: Overture Search Term
Research Tool

Appendix 1-2: Wordtracker Search Query Research Tool

Appendix 1-3: Google Sets Website Theme Research Tool

Appendix 1-4: Reach/ Acquire/ Convert/ Retain

Chart Appendix 2-5: Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth Information Architecture Flowchart

Appendix 2-6: Search Engine Themes Pyramid Information Architecture Example

Appendix 2-7: Webpage Download Time by File Size Chart

Appendix 2-8: Expected Locations for Common E-commerce Elements

Appendix 2-9: Website Usability Checklist

Appendix 2-10: Text Vs.Code Ratio/ Content Near the Top of Souce Code Examples

Appendix 3-11: Overture Bid Price Tool

Appendix 3-12: Webalizer Website Visitor Tracking Tool

Appendix 3-13: AW STATS Website Visitor Tracking Tool Appendix

3-14: Clicktracks Website Statistics
Analysis Tool

References
Author Notes

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Planning, Developing, and Promoting Successful Small Business Websites Table of Contents

Planning, Developing, and Promoting a Successful Small Business Website

Planning, Developing, and Promoting Successful Small Business Websites

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