Why do the majority of all websites fail

by Bardia Housman / Business Catalyst

Did you know that the majority of all websites fail? They fail to deliver ROI (return on investment). Ok let’s start to put a value on a few things, your time in reading this newsletter, your time in attending an internet marketing seminar, your time thinking and devising a plan for your website, your time in talking to a web designer and the cost of putting a website together. It's adding up isn't it? You now know the cost of having a website and you also know that the probability that your website will not pay for itself is high! Wow, that's scary stuff. Shouldn't you step back for a minute and ensure you are better informed so you end up in the small group of websites that thrive and deliver results for their owners?

Do get caught up
People often get caught up in the possibilities of the web. They think world domination. They think that there's a global audience waiting to buy their products and by being online they are going to be rich. WRONG! Wrong process equals failure. Let me save you the disappointment. Buying a website and putting your entire product catalogue online does not equate to online success. The majority of all websites fail because they follow this process, isn't that what you once thought you might do? I bet you did. They fail because they cannot generate "quality traffic" which is "receptive" to their offers.

People ask me so what does it take to be in the small group of websites that succeed? My immediate response is, 1) you don't need to be technical, 2) you don't need to have a massive marketing budget and 3) you don't need to have the best looking website with lots of bells and whistles. Being successful is about following a simple process which generates high quality and interested traffic that is warm and willing to buy your products and services. And secondly it's about having the right tools that allow you to manage the last two C's in the 4C's process which are conversion and customer. Get these two parts right (and they don't cost much) and your new online business will soon become your new profit machine. Lets delve into the first of our 4C's and learn why high value content generates quality traffic, a conduit for credibility and a prerequisite for conversion.

What does it take?
Answer this question, what is the single most important reason that everyone uses the internet for? You are right it's information. If you address this need before anything else you are on your way to success. During Valentine's day I took the liberty to research some hotels so I could get away with my partner. When I searched for hotels for the region that I had intended to visit it soon dawned on me that in the top 10 pages of results in Google I could only find one hotel website and once I passed page ten a few more popped up. I assume all these hotels have owners who have spent their blood and sweat in thinking, creating, paying, maintaining and hoping that their websites will do business for them. Shouldn't I, a potential customer have found them easier? Don't they want me as a customer? I have money, and I want to give it to them. What a complete utter failure on their part for not being found. Honestly it frustrates me when I think about it! Putting your rooms and rates on the web is no different to those retailers who put their entire product catalogue online and hope for mysterious dollars to appear on their doorsteps. It's all the same, I see R.I.P. written across these website. When I want to take my partner away for Valentine's day I'm looking for an experience. I'm looking for information on how I can make this getaway the best one yet. I want to unwind, I want her to unwind, I want us to have a great time.

Lets try and understand why valuable content is *critical* to your success. When I selected the website of the hotel which appeared on page two of Google search results I saw "Valentine's day getaway for you and your partner". First up, bang, you got me! I need information and you are doing just that. Now suddenly I find myself immersed in your website, credibility (our second C) begins to establish and your clever website design directs me to your monetization model (our third C). Lets see it another way. If you are a hotel owner there would be quite a few activities that your guests would normally undertake when they visit. Remember they are not there to buy a room, they want an experience, they have a need, you have to fulfill it, e.g. horse riding, golf, beaches, wine tours and so forth. By providing content complimentary to your business you not only address people's information needs which in the process builds credibility, you help different people find you in different ways. I might search for "Valentine's day getaway" and end up on your website. You may want to go on wine tasting holiday and search for those keywords and so forth. Your high quality content are like tentacles attracting "qualified and potential" customers from all over the place back to your website. Am I making sense? Rest assured this will become very clear soon and I'm sure you will appreciate the power of this approach which is nothing more than common sense.