Is Your WordPress Site Doo Doo?
I can see you smirking on the other side of this screen based on the name of this article. This terminology is used in lieu of the more graphic words not generally used in a professional setting. <nudge-nudge>
So, you may be asking – what is this about? Albeit humorous sounding, this term is one that when I use it, for the most part, is to make a very serious point. “Doo Doo” is a nice way of explaining those ideas that have no sound basis for success, whose owners feel that by just getting their own dot com and throwing up a WordPress site on a “me too” template – selling… er…. well….. anything, and then just sitting back and waiting for the orders or e-mail to roll in, they will soon be on the path to riches.
Or buying into some “system” that is supposed to miraculously take the site owners responsibility of understanding the reality of how online business is done — right off the table. Due to the economy I am getting several calls a day from folks who bought these “systems” and are wondering why it isn’t “working”.
With this article, I will guide those new to the online business environment, what some of the core basics are that you need to consider to prevent your site from becoming just another “Doo Doo” site that is not taken seriously. Before you spend one penny of your hard-earned money!
By reading this article and taking note of some of the points made, you will have a more realistic view of what is involved in not just having a WordPress Web site, but creating a successful effective WordPress Web site.
You think you have a great idea and have put up a WordPress site on a freebie plain Jane template. Or possibly, you would like a brandy new WordPress site?
You have a product/service that people will want to buy (or the latest trend a drop-shipper so you don’t have to worry about that silly inventory thing). Well, let’s put up a Web site and get rich, right? Wrong…
Unfortunately, it just is not that easy.
This will not happen.
As a competitor of P.T. Barnum once said “There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute”. Online there’s a long line of those out for a quick buck, who cater to those who know not any better just to get into their pocketbooks.
Remember, this is marketing after all… Fast! Cheap! Easy! Do-it-yourself! Those terms sell! Big-time! Clearly evidenced by the “get rich quick” mentality you can find all over the Internet. Think about it… if these words were true, wouldn’t everyone walking down the street do this stuff and be millionaires by now?
Terms like “hard work”, “you will have a lot to learn”, “hours of effort”, “ongoing commitment”. “honing skills” – well, those terms just don’t sell as effectively – to some.
To those who prefer the former over the later — they end up with Doo Doo Sites. Sites that are nothing special or unique trying to sell what over a million other sites are already doing.
Even the best WordPress site cannot turn a lack of planning, tech savvy or solid business methodology a success.
Here are some questions you need to ask to determine if your idea is one worth pursuing:
- What will my online expenses be for my Web server, ISP connection, WordPress Theme, E-Commerce application, Web site development and maintenance?
- Why will people buy this product/service from me rather than from any number of Web sites already online?
- Is my product/service needed/desired?
- Can I offer the product or service at a competitive price and what is that?
- Will my suppliers support my requests and potential growth/demand for the product?
- Is the quality of my product/service in line with the price I am asking?
- How much will it cost to have enough inventory to support orders while additional product is in transit?
- What are the issues to consider and the best rates/providers for a Merchant Account so that I can accept credit cards securely on my site?
- What are my policies and return procedures in regard to online ordering?
- What options will I have for shipping and what will I charge respectively?
What happens when business owners do not do their due diligence or realize after the fact that this is a business just as in the off-line world with the same responsibilities? What if they do not get all the above questions answered and a firm understanding of what will be involved before they jump online and buy a “system”?
They end up not being successful nor do they come close to their unrealistic goals.
There is so much more to this than slapping up even a quality WordPress Web site — this is business! Smart business people do not want watered-down sugarcoated solutions. They know that any credible, successful business venture — of any kind — requires unwavering commitment from all involved. An idea, even the greatest idea, combined with the best WordPress site cannot be successful unless many of the issues above are addressed seriously.
This includes having a product/service people want, at the right price, with a credible Web site whose owner is committed to learning what is necessary to its success.
What’s the bottom line? Make a commitment to work hard, to learn, learn, learn. Don’t try to fool yourself that those that make having a WordPress site sound easy, and making boat-loads of cash a breeze, are the credible ones. Run away from those who make getting found sound as simple as snapping your fingers — it is proportionately the opposite!
Anyone who is truly successful on the Web (or off-line for that matter) will tell you it is not easy. They will tell you that you need to have a great idea and then be prepared to feed that project what it needs from both your time and resource investments to ensure its ongoing success.
They will tell you that if your personality is not conducive to change, if you are not flexible, if you don’t have the desire to acquire knowledge and feel as though you are in school every day of your life for the unforeseeable future – DON’T GET A WORDPRESS SITE!
Having a WordPress site is not any different than having a real business off-line in a physical location. You need to know the basics of running a business from accounting, to tax and legal issues. You need to be able to plan how your marketing program will adjust to this evolving technology both on and off-line based on data and trends; how you will adjust as well.
So, the choice is yours – do you want to have a Doo Doo site or your very own successful business that you worked hard at, built to be profitable and are proud of? The choice is yours to make – and it doesn’t include the terms Fast!, Cheap!, Easy!.
I challenge you to choose the path and partners that make it clear you will have to continually invest in your project; that this is a long-term commitment. Because if you don’t, know you will be just another one of the thousands of Doo Doo sites that are here today and gone tomorrow…
At your service,
Judith
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