GUIDING THOUGHT:

The single most important task you can undertake in creating a website is the act of getting very, very clear about who you’re speaking to, and what they need most from you…then showing them how to get it.

DOWNLOAD THE DAY 1 WORKBOOK NOW (.docx)

No matter how beautiful your website is, if you’re not connecting with people and solving their problems, it is just the electronic equivalent of a brochure sitting in a rack, on a wall amid hundreds of others. Most people will not take the time to pick up and read it, even fewer will take it home and actually act on it. Most people are overwhelmed with too much information and too many sales pitches these days. Their minds are cluttered, tired, and stressed. They spend their days surrounded by voices—television, the Internet, signs, advertisements, and the other people in their lives—all clamoring for their attention.

A good website cuts through this clutter by being the thoughtful, intelligent person in the room who listens. We guide them to a quiet corner and let them talk, without interrupting. We show them we understand, and that we’re human. We ask helpful, clarifying questions. We talk about some offerings you have that might help—some free, some not—and we don’t add to their stress with loud, fear-based sales pitches. We give them all the information they need to take their next steps toward their needs & desires.

Before we can step into that vision, we need to have a clear picture of the person we’re trying to talk to. The vast majority of people building websites ignore this step, and it’s a mistake that can have bad repercussions, because everything you put into a website—from the content and tone of your text, to colors, images, options, font sizes, and virtually everything else—needs to resonate with this audience.

DOWNLOAD THE DAY 1 WORKBOOK NOW and answer its questions. Don’t overthink it – trust your best instincts.  Be relaxed and curious about this, and please don’t stress. It’s NOT carved in stone – it’s just to get you on the right track so everything else you do in the other 9 days is on target.

When you’re done, tuck it into your MY WEBSITE folder and get ready for Day 2: Your Domain Name.

See you tomorrow!