Web 1.0 for business owners

Web 1.0 for business owners is “do your homework.” The best way to become successful in what you do is to locate someone that’s already successful doing what you want to do. Then connect with them and if possible even work with them. For website design and digital marketing strategy it works the same way. Find someone in your business that does what you want to and does it really well on the internet. Begin by searching through search engines and continue by looking at social media networks. Find the “leading voices” in your space, also known as “influencers”. Note the number of followers, how often they update their content, how their website works on your phone and looks on your desktop. Test its functionality. Sign up and note what happens. Once you’ve found the influencers and the websites and logos you like best then you’re ready to be branded. For small and especially new business owners the answers to these questions can be self-discovered. For busy and established businesses, it’s what we call “digital asset review.” We use it to help the client understand their own space and what it’s going to take to compete in it. Once we establish the leading voices, the tools they use, and the communities they manage, we can then make a determination: should we emulate them, take advantage of an opportunity they might not see, or try a completely different but also proven approach that may not have been used in your industry. But regardless, before you invest in complex website development, expensive digital marketing, and significant time investment do your homework or hire someone to do it for you.