Before You Re-Do Your Website, Ask These Questions

Every couple of years, it appears as though the Internet goes through some sort of a complete revolution in how websites look, and in general design. And now, with businesses setting up Facebook pages and getting involved in social media, it seems as though it might be a good time to overhaul everything about your home business web presence.

This can be a good idea in some cases, but you want to be careful. Seth Godin has some advice about some questions you should ask before you spend money to have someone help you overhaul your website. Here are some of the questions Godin believes are most important:

* What is the goal of your website?

* What specific outcomes will occur when the site is working well?

* Who are you trying to please? What kind of person is important?

* Who are you trying to reach?

* What sites have your preferred audience shown that they enjoy?

* Are you trying to close sales?

* Are you telling a story?

* Will you be looking for permission to follow up?

* Do you want people to watch or learn?

* Do you want people to use social media tools?

* Are news updates going to be part of your new set-up?

* Is the site part of a larger suite? Or is this just a single sign post?

* Do you need a great deal of bandwidth?

* How often can you afford to overhaul the website?

* Do you want the site to show up in search engines? And what terms do you want associated with your website?

* Will you need the site to be accessible to disabled groups? (Hearing impaired, sight-impaired, etc.)

* Do you understand that “everything” is not really an option?