Coaching Tip: If you build it, will they…?

Originally Submitted on 6/22/2002.

Introduction

A website may be essential, but it is not, of itself, usually sufficient.

The Coaching Tip

One of the rites of passage for most new coaches is the building of a website. In today's economy, having one's own website can provide a stamp of professionalism – or, at least, NOT having one can leave one without that stamp.

However, it is of concern that many new business people seem to believe that there is no point in trying to build a business until one has built a website, and equally that there is no need to plan on other marketing approaches apart from a website. Many seem to believe that a website alone is the solution to a lack of clients or customers.

This belief ignores two points: how you will get people to visit the site, and the need for other marketing techniques besides the site.

For some people, the issue of how to bring visitors to the site is barely considered, or it is assumed that the problem can be magically solved by a professional website designer. It is true that a web designer may (may, not will) aid in the selection of meta-tags and the design of a site that will rank high in the search engines. (This is not to say that a professional web designer is essential – those with a low budget can develop their own, as did I.) However, regardless of who develops your site, keeping the traffic coming calls for ongoing effort. What else will you (or your client) do to gain traffic and attract clients?

Will you post material elsewhere on the web and link it to your site? Network in a way that will attract others to it? Keep your content regularly updated? Keep up with the comings and goings of new search engines? Websites are like living things, they need care and feeding at regular intervals.

The other concern is that the new business person may focus so much on the website that s/he does not perceive a need for other marketing activities. It is important to understand that, while your website is an essential internet brochure, it is just one of many tools in your marketing toolbox, and in and of itself it may not be enough to keep you at the level of business that you desire. There are other things you can do to attract clients and it is wise to plan – and act - accordingly.

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