When I started working with websites, most people subscribed to the "if you build it they will come" theory, and to some extent that was true. A well built site with basic optimizaton features like keyword and description tags, some good keywording in the title and text and you were IN, baby! So many sites were poorly built that it didn't take much to show up at the top of the search engine rankings!

Things have changed.

The internet is growing at an exponential rate. You are competing for attention with, deep breath here...Over 3 billion - some say as many as 17 billion - that's billion with "B" - web pages, and more are added every day. Web professionals are increasingly savvy and optimization information and programs that assist in basic optimization for the do-it-yourselfer are everywhere. Competetion for those coveted few spots on the first page of a search engine's results is fiery and fierce.

What can you do?

Lots, but first, you need to do your homework and make some hard decisions. You want to decide what the search terms (keywords) are that people are going to use to find your site and make sure those keywords are included on your site. Search Engines need to see the words that people are searching for on your site for them to think your site is pertinent to display in the results. But it is hard to choose the right words without knowing your focus.

And I mean focus about your business, or message, not just your website!

A fellow web developer I know likes to say, "It's not an internet business, it's your business on the internet!" If you don't already have a business plan, a target audience, a message and/or product, a marketing plan and budget, you may be a little premature in building your site, UNLESS your site is for pleasure only.

I can't stress this enough. If you go to your web developer without having clearly defined these things, then you are wasting your money, and his/her time.

Without defining your business, its goals, and its customers, your site will not do all it needs to. My guess is you will be redoing it within two years, or constantly changing it. You will also be losing visitors/income/opportunity all along the way.

Most web developers are NOT business consultants, nor are they marketing experts, though good ones may be able to help you in the specific area of internet business and marketing. If you are really serious about a successful business, you may want to find yourself a business consultant or ask for help from your community small business or economic council. The better prepared you are, the more successful you will likely be, and so will your website.

So back to focus.

You need to be able to clearly explain what your business or website will be about, what goals you have for it, who your target audience is and your secondary audience (if that applies). You want to be able to identify what your business, or website does for your audience that makes it the clear choice over your competitors. After all if you can't decide why you are worth hiring, why would a total stranger want to pick you?

You might also consider and be able to suggest possible images, colors, and other content that might convey your message to your audience - this helps your designer narrow things down, and will save you money. Even though it is your web and or graphic designer's business to guide and suggest, and allow you to clarify good design choices, it is up to you to make the business decisions that drive these choices.

OK, so now you have done your homework...

You can now give your web developer information that allows her to more easily build and optimize your site and, when it is launched, you can expose and market a site that does what you need and want it to, and that will be drawing exactly the folks you want in to view it. When you make changes to your site, It will not be to fix what is broken. It will be to fine tune it, or expand it because you are doing so well!

So focus before you build your site. With a little perserverance and a pinch of luck, they WILL come!

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