When it comes to websites, many businesses are buying the functional equivalent of the billboard and forgetting the message. Website planning is usually something the business owner hands off to the web development guy. Very often, this is because there is an expectation that this is outside the technical capability of the business owner. Most web developers and designers start with an understanding of the clients "brand". They may look at brochures, logos, colors, mock up websites etc for mutual review between the developer and the business owner. The focus is usually on "look and feel". The expense associated with even a modest site that takes this approach is in the thousands. The average cost of a static, brochure type website ranges from $1,000 to $4,000. Unfortunately, very little of this effort, and the expense associated with it, goes toward anything that can drive results. And what you get for this effort is a shell. The business owner still has to write the pages and for the most part this takes a back seat, is usually not very well thought out, copies text from existing brochures and maybe even newsletters and voila' the website is done!

And the website just sits there...

Our recommendation is to put aside the graphics, the technical wiz-bang stuff and put yourself inside the head of your client. BEFORE you even think about the actual vehicle you want to put your content into, you have to think about the content.

Website success planning starts with getting the fundamentals in the correct order. It's not pretty graphics that Google is searching for. It's answers to questions.

• This site offers some keyword resouces that provide some simple ways to brainstorm keywords. You need to know what your clients are seaching for. The website is there to fulfill each question with a well thought out answer.
  
  If you're selling "Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants", start at the highest level like "motor oil", "synthetic oil", "engine oil" and start propogating long lists of keywords that you might consider. Break them up into top tier (general terms), mid tier (brands and uses), bottom tier (model, part numbers, specifics) and long tail terms. You might think you know what your clients are typing. In my experience, if you are saying that off the cuff and you haven't done the research, you'll be quite surprised.
   
• Next start writing a list of as many calls to action as you can think of.
   
• Next layout your home page (sketch a drawing that includes Main Articles, sub articles, menu, calls to action.
   
• Do the same thing for a couple of inner pages.

Now you're ready to talk to someone who can put up your website. Note the side bar topic: questions you should be asking your web development guy. If you spend any money in web development and design, it is our humble opinion that you should be spending more than 50% of your development budget on MARKETING. The logo can wait!