How To Build A Successful Website

I’m sure you’ve heard of them too, haven’t you? You know, those kids making millions on the net…. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just finally get how this internet thing works? Then we’d all be making millions like they do.

Usually, “those kids” have a website, or a “place” if you will, where their millions are made. All websites are essentially the same since they are viewed or accessed through a “browser” (of whatever kind). But yet, of these sites, some are more successful than others. Why? Of course a website has to be pleasing to the eye and usable in that it doesn’t annoy visitors at first sight (or click).

But, most websites are pleasing to the eye and usable yet some are still more successful than others. Why?

The success of a website can be defined as the degree to which a site accomplishes its intended goals. So if you created your website to, say, make you money, then it would be termed as successful if and when it made you money. If you made it so that you can show your friends your wedding photos then it would be successful if your friends are able to view the wedding photos. The success of any website is tied to its intended use/goals.

Not all websites are created for the same purpose and, therefore, their success or failure cannot be measured by the same yardstick. So before you set out to make a successful site, you must define what you mean by “success” and then figure out a way to measure whether or not the site is successful.

The success of websites is specific to each site but what is needed to make a successful website is universal. Yes, I’m trying to say that all successful websites are made the same way. How? The success of any website is dependent on two things:

1. Content
2. Marketing

Content – What do your site’s visitors come to do there? By content I mean the value given to the site’s visitors/users. Do they come to learn? To interact? To be entertained? Whatever it is, it has to be good.

Successful sites are built on the foundation of providing value to the site’s users. Why should I visit your site? What can I find on your site that I cannot find anywhere else? Look, I have my emails, facebook, myspace, football news and that new site that everyone is talking about – I don’t have time to give you my attention! You have to provide something of value to me so that I can make the time to have a look at your website. And if it is not good enough I will leave in a second.

I have to say that not just any valuable content will do. I’ve seen sites built on nothing but freely available beautiful/interesting/entertaining/funny/etc content. This won’t do. Your site has to be unique. If I can find it anywhere else, why should I come to you? You have to build a purple cow.

Marketing – A site could have the most interesting, enlightening, entertaining, etc, information in the world but if no one knows that it exists no one will visit it.

A while back, it used to be that “if you build it, they will find it”. Not anymore. There are millions of websites. Think of it as a vast library and your site is some tiny book on the top shelf at the back of the library. It could be the best book ever but no one will read it if they don’t know its there.

Therefore, you cannot just build a beautiful, usable, entertaining website. You have to market it too.

How do you market your website? There must be hundreds of ways to do this and I’m sure I cannot list them all. But, I believe that “marketing” isn’t the same as advertising. Marketing isn’t what you do when your site is ready just to bring in visitors. Marketing has to be in-built from the inception of the idea. Build something remarkable, something unique, something that people will tell their friends about excitedly.

Yeah I’m really actually repeating what I said – that you need to build a purple cow. See, these two things: content and marketing, they have a connection. The first step of marketing your website is to build/provide remarkable, useful, amazing, entertaining, valuable content.

Useful resources:
Netiquette.
Purple cow.
Tens of articles on blog promotion.
17 Ways to promote your blog.
37 Ways to promote your site.
10 Ways not to promote your site.
Top 10 SEO tips.
SEO training made easy.

Photo by @dakno.