Top Ten Tips for
Mastering Your Domain
Success in business requires an effective internet presence. Use the tips below to leverage your digital investment.
 From Little Acorns Grow
You don't need to build a large web site, at least not at first. Business owners tell me that they are waiting until they have all their stuff together to create a web presence. Hey, just get your toe in the door OK?
Register a domain name and put up a "Welcome To Our Future Site" page. That's it! The only copy you'll need is whatever you would say about your business if you met someone in an elevator, and your business card contact information.
 Hello Out There
Whether your site has one page or a hundred, put your contact information on every page, in the same spot. I prefer a phone number (see mine in the lower left corner? Go ahead, try it). It's really hard to chat with an e-mail message.
 Who's Site is it Anyway?
If you wrote the check, then you should be the Master of Your Domain. I believe in professional design with updates by the Subject Matter Expert (that's you!). I use NetObjects Fusion (netobjects.com) to design client sites. The client buys the same software, then I teach them how to do their own updates. If you can use word processing to create a letter, you have all the skill you need to update your site.
 Smile for the Camera
Get yourself a digital camera and start taking pictures. Your clients, presentations, research, whatever. For one client I took pictures of the staff in each field office. When published, one office said it was the first time they got to see pictures of the people they deal with by phone everyday.
 Kirk to Enterprise...
Use your web site as a strategic platform to communicate with your world. I don't mean the whole world, just the people you deal with every day. Create your own Virtual Team to break the boundaries of time and space. Use your web presence to create, Project teams, Affiliate Communities, or Volunteer Organizations. Create discussion boards, Ask the Expert forums, and publish Calendars and Event Planners.
 Here's the Plan
Before you spend the big bucks on a web site to "know" where. Sit down and write a paragraph that outlines the objective of building a site. It's the only way you'll know where you are headed and be able to measure your success.
 Never Ask for Directions
I know it's a guy thing, but we never stop and ask for directions. Neither should your site visitor. Create your site navigation in three levels; Homepage, Sections, and Topics. This system allows visitors to reach any topic with no more than two clicks. Skeptical? Try it yourself. Click on the link to articles then the link to the current Making Technology Work article.
 Put Your Backs Into it Lads!
Actually, put yourself into it. People don't buy products on the web, they buy Trust. If your unique personality, values and vision are missing from your site, then it has no soul.
 I'm sorry, You Are?
It's all about you. No, not you, I mean "You", your visitor. Write your content to speak to the individual that's sitting in front of the computer. Just like you are right now.
 Embrace Change and Have Fun!
Your site will change often. Accept it and have fun. The web has made the world both bigger and smaller that before. Bigger because you can now access almost anything about everything. Smaller because you can connect one on one with anyone without the boundaries of Mountains, Oceans or or even lines drawn on a map.
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