Thank you for the 12 pointers. I am just starting private practice and a web page is on my list of to do's. Your information is very helpful.

Posted by: Kate Sierota on February 25, 2009 at 12:16 PM

thanks for that win-win spirit and for sharing knowledge

Posted by: carlos on February 27, 2009 at 3:59 AM

I have trouble understanding all of above info. Trying to figure specific goals, or undrestanding SEO's and what they mean and most of the rest. The basics of computer programs seems to snow me most of the time,(meaning of terms, computer?) In one program a button means one thing and in another means something else. I need help a lot??? Have problems as where to go to look with out costing a bunch more money which I do not have, living on fixed income.

Posted by: Glen Schultz on February 27, 2009 at 10:46 AM

The goals for your website would be the specific things you want your website to accomplish. For instance, those goals might be any one or more of the following:

Get customers to make a purchase online with a credit card
Get customers to call our company to get a price quote
Get customers to call our company and make an appointment for a consultation
Get customers to use the website to self-schedule their appointments (ie, at a dentist, or doctor)
Provide distributors or sales reps with current product information and inventory levels
Reduce the number of calls to our customer support line
Reduce in-person sales calls by showing online product demos to prospects expressing interest for the first time

Websites can do so many different things for different types of businesses that those are just a few of the possibilities. Established companies should include specific dollar amounts to those goals, so they can measure the effectiveness of the website in reaching the goals.

As far as buttons go in computer programs, usually a button is a graphical image that you press to produce a response - just like you'd push a button to get a soda machine to spit out the can of soda you want to buy. In a web design program, the button would be a picture (usually a square or small oblong) with the words like "submit" or "buy now" that you'd put on your html page, and then set up with a link to do whatever action you wanted to happen. (ie, submit a lead form, sign up for a newsletter, make a purchase.

Search engine optimization has to do with the actual words you put in the titles of your web pages, the keywords and descriptions search engines see, and in the headlines on the page, in the body of the text and in the descriptions for images (alt images).

Your best bet to educate yourself if you're living on a tight budget and fixed income is to go to your public library. They should have books there that teach the basics of computer programs and website building. Check the library, too, and other local resources for small business such as SCORE or your local Small Business Development agencies to see if they have any free seminars about computers or building websites.

Posted by: Janet Attard on February 27, 2009 at 12:02 PM

I suspect there may be a number of other people confused about how to build a profitable website. If there's enough interest, Business Know-How can set up training courses. For more information please send email to Feedback@businessknowhow.com with the words Web Training in the subject line.

Posted by: Janet Attard on February 27, 2009 at 12:24 PM

Hello Janet!

I just got my web site up at the above address. It is about Elder Care in Adult Family Home. Features services that we provide for elder clients that are in our care.
Problem is: - in our AFH owners community, many of us have web sites, none of them are happy with it, because there is no contact back (maybe one a year). It is either the competition is so big that we just do not count (against nursing homes, assisted livings, so on), or the population that we expect to use computers to look up in the web sites for a place for mom, is lacking computer skills. But if you have let's say a mom in her 70's or 80's, that needs more care in such a facility, you must be in your 40's or 50's, and computer use should not be a problem. Then, why there is no audience?
I want to promote this site (I did not launched it official) with the help of an email marketing type of "cover letter" (e-mail - cover letter) that I want to aim it to social workers, discharge planners, referral agencies that place elders in Adult Family Homes. Then, maybee create a coallition of these homes and make us visible.

It is just a need to communicate to someone that is so used to deal with situations like that all the time. This is why i write you this.

Well, thanks, and if you have time, sometime, just tell me what you think.

Thank you,

Sorina Bucur

Posted by: sorina bucur on March 31, 2009 at 5:18 PM

It's difficult to answer your question based on what you've written here. What are "AFH owners" ? Is the site that's linked in your name your own site? Or are you a franchise or affiliate or something of the main site?

Do you have any control over what goes on the website or who gets a call or email if someone chooses "Contact us?"

Posted by: Janet Attard on April 7, 2009 at 1:28 PM

Hello Janet
I am a woman in business and work a lot on my own operating and marketing an Online busienss [my 2 business partners run a sister consulting business so that is where all their time and energy flows]
Despite having a signifcant web presence with our 2 websites we still have a lot of work ahead of us in becoming profitable.

I really appreciate your 12 points and will bookmark BusinessKnowHow.com

Thank you
Kerrie

Posted by: Kerrie Thomsen on September 11, 2009 at 9:13 PM