Building Websites is Cool

Sheldon Nesdale

www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

I’m interested in...

• Learning, Being Inspired, Exploring the web

Business Books + TED videos + Kahn Academy + Googling

• Creating

Unique Content + Online communities

• Tauranga + The Mount

I love where I live

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

I’m interested in...

• Technology

How it connects us & improves our lives

iPad + Robots + Games + Facebook

• Being Entertained

Videos: Comedy + Movie Cartoons + Sci-Fi + TED

• Making Money

Small Business + Micro-Business, Start-Up Businesses

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

I get paid to...

1. Read

2. Ask Questions

3. Listen

4. Write (email + content + articles)

5. Talk about ideas

6. Create

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Why I Love Building Websites

1. Websites are cheap

$84.73/year (or free)

2. Websites are public

no barriers between you and the world

3. Websites attract an audience for free

thanks to Google

4. Websites are valuable

so people will pay you to build them

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

My Web Work

• 20 client websites

Scuba Diving, Management Course, Airport Shuttle, Winery, Fences & Gates, Charity

• 17 of my own websites (66% of my income)

LoveOneDaySales.co.nz

NZHotPools.co.nz

WhyIHateDogs.com

AntiSmokingSeahorse.com

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Want to start your own website?

• Find a topic you are passionate about This gives you energy to keep going

Eg an author, a type of movie, a hobbie, a sport

• Provide content that is valuable & interesting to certain people (not everybody) Eg reading order list, ranking list of movies & indepth

character details, how-to videos

• Have an attitude. Take a stand.

• Once you have an audience, making money is easy

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Building a website for a client? 5 questions to ask:

1. What are your overall goals for your business? Growth? More revenue? More profit? Highly quality?

Higher prices? To be the leader?

2. What are your personal goals? Work less? Make more money? Both? Be famous for

something? Sell the business & retire?

This tells you what motivates them

3. How will a website help with your goals? Let them tell you why they want one

This tells you what they expect from you

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Building a website for a client? Questions to ask:

4. What action do you want customers to take?

Call your phone number? Fill in an email enquiry form? Buy something? Walk into your shop?

This tells you how to measure success

5. Why would a customer buy from you anyway?

What makes you unique / different / special?

This tells you what the content should be

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

When building a website, who’s perspective is most important?

1. Your client?

2. You?

3. The clients customers?

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Most important perspective: Your clients end-customer

• Without them, the pyramid falls over

• The more you know about the end customers the better the website will be

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

What questions are customers asking themselves when they visit a website?

1. “Have you got what I want?”

2. “Can I trust you?”

3. “How much will it cost me?”

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

“Have you got what I want?”

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

“Have you got what I want?”

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

“Can I trust you?”

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

What builds trust?

1. Testimonials

2. Guarantees

3. Details that prove expertise

Eg “How we do things...”

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

“How much will it cost?”

• Dont’ waste my time!

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Guidelines for building a website

1. Keep the end customer in mind

2. Before you add extra “stuff” ask if it might get in the way of results

3. Be predictable So new visitors don’t get a headache learning how to

get what they want

3 column layout

Black text on white background

Blue underlined text for hyperlinks

Use headlines, subheads, bullets, images, links, video

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Sheldon Nesdale :: www.MarketingFirst.co.nz

Resources

• Domain Names:

1stDomains.co.nz $25/year

• Web Hosting:

HostGator.com $60/year

• Website Building:

WordPress.org

• These Slides: