1. planning
Your
Website
9 Essential Questions To
Help You Achieve Your
Online Business Goals
by Sugar Websites
So Sweet...
Fast Easy & Oh,
websites

2. Congratulations On Taking 2
The First Steps To Growing
Your Business Online!
planning your website.
It’s an exciting time to be presenting your business to the growing Internet market.
With 70% of U.S. consumers searching online for information before they make
purchases, it’s essential they can access your business online 24/7.
Like any project, the planning phase is the key to getting the best results. When you
get that right, the foundation is set and everything will continue ahead in the right
direction. It’s no different with getting a website.
A poorly-built website is often the result of poor planning and regardless of what you
paid it will end up costing you a fortune. Not only will you lose your time and money
fixing or rebuilding it, you’ll also lose precious customers and business credibility.
The “9 Essential Questions” in this ebook will get you thinking strategically about your
website and ensure it is on track to achieve your business goals.
Spend some time considering your answers and discussing them with your business
partners. When you are clear on your answers, your direction will be set and your
website will be just a few steps away from being completed and live on the Internet.
Warmest regards,
P.S. Feel free to share this e-book with your fellow small business owners and
entrepreneurs who you think would also benefit from thinking strategically to achieve
their online business goals.
384 S Centerville Rd. Middletown, NY 10940 • hello@sugarwebsites.com • www.sugarwebsites.com
Copyright © 2011 Sugar Websites. All Rights Reserved.

3. PLANNING YOUR WEBSITE 3
9 Essential Questions To Help
You Achieve Your Online Business
planning your website.
Goals
1. Who Are You?
If you had 30 seconds to introduce your business to a group of your perfect potential
customers, would you know what to say? Your website needs to answer this question
for your customers 24/7. Make sure it says exactly what you need.
Hints:
• How do you introduce your business to a potential customer? Can you describe it
in a few sentences?
• What problems do you solve for your customers?
• What products or services do you provide to your customers?
2. What Are Your Values?
If your customers were telling their friends about you, what would you want them to
say? How would you want them to remember you? The answers to these questions
represent your brand values, and your website should reflect these from first glance.
Hints:
• What benefit do you hope to bring to your customers’ lives?
• What words do you want people to use to describe you?
• What do you want people to remember you for?
• What is the first impression you want people to have?
3. Who Are Your Customers?
Who are your ideal customers? If you answer “everyone”, it’s time to rethink, since no
one can cater to the tastes of “everyone”. The better you know your customers, the
better you can tailor your business and your website to suit their needs.
Hints:
• How well can you describe your ideal customers?
• Are they individuals or organizations?
• Where do they live?
• What age/gender/profession are they?
• Why do they need your products/services?
• How do they use the Internet?
384 S Centerville Rd. Middletown, NY 10940 • hello@sugarwebsites.com • www.sugarwebsites.com
Copyright © 2011 Sugar Websites. All Rights Reserved.

4. 4. Who Are Your Competitors? 4
Online you now have a huge new market, but also a whole new lot of competitors.
Many websites in the same industry often appear very similar, making them very
unmemorable to the customer. Paying attention to your competitors and their websites
will make sure you stand out and be remembered.
planning your website.
Hints:
• Who are my main competitors?
• What are my main points of difference from my competition? Think about your
price, product and service.
• How can I clearly communicate my difference to my customers?
5. Why Do You Need A Website?
Being clear on what exactly your website should do for your business will save you a
whole lot of time and money. When you align your website with your business goals
right from the start you are definitely setting your direction straight for success!
Hints:
• Do you need to sell or take bookings or donations online?
• Do you need to build a customer/subscriber base?
• Do you want to expand your geographic reach?
• Do you need to interact with customers or members online?
• Do you need to raise your online profile?
6. What Is The Main Thing You Want Visitors
To Do On Your Website?
A website without a Call to Action is like a store without a door. When visitors land on
your site you need to have a way to focus their attention on taking action and convert
them to your customer. Without it, they may leave your site more knowledgable but
dissatisfied that they still haven’t taken action to solve their problem.
What is the primary action you want visitors to do on your site? E.g. make contact with
you (phone/email/contact form/visit), make a booking, sign up, make a donation, or
make a purchase.
Hints:
• What action can potential clients take on your site?
• What is the most important Call to Action you need?
384 S Centerville Rd. Middletown, NY 10940 • hello@sugarwebsites.com • www.sugarwebsites.com
Copyright © 2011 Sugar Websites. All Rights Reserved.

5. 7. How Will You Answer Their Questions? 5
Your customers are on your website because they want more information. Do you
know what they are looking for? The more relevant information you can provide before
they have to contact you the better. It will build their trust in you, save them time and
make them more likely to buy from you.
planning your website.
Hints:
• Do you have detailed information and images for your products and services?
• Do you have pricing and payment information?
• Do you have contact details, including phone, contact form and map location?
• Do you have third party testimonials to build credibility?
• Do you have useful information to add value for your customers, such as “How
To” articles, hints and tips, videos, etc.?
8. How Will You Deliver?
You can promise the world on your website, but you have to make sure you can deliver!
When you provide a good experience for your customer they will tell others about you
and hopefully purchase again.
Hints:
• How will you supply your products or services to your customer?
• How will you handle communication with your customers?
• Who will be responsible for managing the content of your website?
• Who will be responsible for managing the service from your website?
9. How Will You Promote Your Site?
Once your site is online, you need to drive your customers to visit. Do you know how
they look for your products or services? Knowing how and where your customers shop
for your products and services will help you be much more effective in promoting
yours to them.
Hints:
• Where and how do your customers look for information?
• What incentives can you provide to encourage them to visit or take action when
they are on your site?
• Is your website on all your offline marketing materials, such as business cards,
flyers, advertising and store signage?
384 S Centerville Rd. Middletown, NY 10940 • hello@sugarwebsites.com • www.sugarwebsites.com
Copyright © 2011 Sugar Websites. All Rights Reserved.

6. Contact Us 6
Sugar Websites is the small business websites specialist. We come to you and take
the time to understand your business and train you to use your website. Our team of
planning your website.
marketers, copywriters, designers and developers ensure that your site not only looks
great, but is affordable and meets the needs of you and your customers.
Contact us to book your free, no-obligation Website Strategy Session with your Sugar
Website Consultant who’ll visit you in-person to determine the most effective website
solution for your business.
website www.sugarwebsites.com
phone 1.855.SUGARWEB toll free
845.204.8086 office
fax 1.855.784.2973
email hello@sugarwebsites.com
address 384 S Centerville Rd
Middletown NY 10940
Sugar Website Consultants Are Currently Available In:
• New York City
• New York State
384 S Centerville Rd. Middletown, NY 10940 • hello@sugarwebsites.com • www.sugarwebsites.com
Copyright © 2011 Sugar Websites. All Rights Reserved.

7. So Sweet...
Fast Easy & Oh,
websites www.sugarwebsites.com