Before you can do anything online, you have to have a website. But you need to think of your website as being an online business platform.
- Websites don’t necessarily change much. Platforms can be molded, adjusted, altered to meet your business needs.
- Websites are just online brochures that tell people what you do. Platforms are dynamic online environments that speak directly to your audience and give them exactly what they need to help them choose your business.
- Websites are show pieces that focus more on design than function. Platforms are built for your business needs, your audience’s expectations and bring them together in a beautiful, professional design.
- Websites are made for you. Platforms are built for your audience so they can choose to work with you.
I know we’re playing semantic games here. But I feel it’s important to separate every website you’ve seen, used or owned into these two distinct categories. The reason for this is simple: you don’t just want a website. You want an online platform that meets your business needs while meeting your audiences needs, wants and expectations. As I like to say, you want a website with special powers.
The features that separate a business platform from a website.
The absolute, most important, game changing feature you must have is the ability to edit, update and add new content. Without a lick of code you should be able to update your website yourself – add new pages, publish articles, edit exiting content, add video, etc. Without this ability, your website is…well…a website. It’s not a dynamic platform for getting more clients.
Next you need to be able to make changes to parts of your website without redesigning it. For instance, your navigation menu. You should be able to easily change your navigation menu yourself without code.
You should be able to add new features to your website without needing a redesign. Whether it’s contact forms, social media links, landing pages or a password protected page you should be able to add these with ease.
Enter WordPress
You’ve probably heard of it. Perhaps you’ve even have used it. Either way the bottom line is you want a website build on WordPress.
Sure, it started out as blog software. But it’s evolved over the years into a robust content management system. A content management system is a fancy way to say updating your content without the techie stuff getting in the way. Or, what I like to say – a dynamic website platform.
WordPress makes it easy to edit your content, add new features, make nearly limitless site updates and much more all from an easy-to-learn interface. If you can write and send an email, you can easily learn the basics of WordPress (hint: and I’ll help ya). Think of it like this – WordPress runs ‘beneath’ your website and gives you all sorts of options to make changes to your site.
I build all my websites on WordPress and I highly, highly recommend it for your website. There are many reasons for using WordPress. But the most important is that WordPress gives you complete control over your own content without having to know a lick of code. This is huge because it gives you freedom to update, change and add content to your site whenever you want without having to pay or wait for someone else to do it. And I wasn’t kidding, it’s about as easy to use as writing an email.
And here’s a video that show you how easy it is to edit your website with WordPress:
Don’t forget about mobile
Mobile devices have drastically changed how we’re all using the web. Even if you don’t have a smart phone or a tablet, hundreds of millions of people in every part of the world do. And with mobile web usage growing at an incredible rate each year you can’t miss out. So you really need a website that’s ready for mobile.
I know, it’s just one more overwhelming thing to deal with – which means you’d probably rather not deal with it. Truthfully, you don’t have too – I do! Yet you should at least know that you need a site that responds well to the mobile web.
Just so we’re on the same page – we are well past the time when a mobile website is a ‘nice thing to have.’ Now it’s a necessity. And it will make the difference between people using your site on their mobile device and leaving to find a site that’s easier to use on their iPhone, iPad or Android device.
Remember, your website is your hub
Everything you do online to promote your business should lead people back to your website. Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are great tools. But you have no control over them. Facebook has shown us time and again that they’ll change how Facebook works without consulting with you.
So you want a central hub for your business online. A hub that you control. A hub that focuses your visitors to specific things they want. A hub that can change and grow with you as your business grows and changes. I cannot stress enough the importance of having your own business platform. Especially one that works.
You need an onliness business platform…and you need a way to get people to see it.
So having a business platform is your foundation. Yet you also need to know how to get people to your website. And once there, you want to give them what they want in order to take action by signing up for your email list or getting a free coaching session. These are the three pillars to being successful with your website.
Do you have a website that’s the hub for your business?
If not, then give me call and let’s talk specifically about your situation in a FREE 20-Minute Advisory Session. The call is free and there’s absolutely no obligation.
OR…Get a copy of my FREE guide Client Producing Websites, 10 Elements Your Website Must Have In Order to Get You More Clients, Sell More Products, and Make More Money. In it I remove all the myths and give you straight talk about the ten things you website needs to effectively get your more clients, sell more products and courses and make more money.
Remember, if you’re stuck, confused or overwhelmed, it doesn’t have to stay that way. Get the help you need right now.