Few days back my friend directed me to a blog and asked to read an article about website concepts in the Maldives Tourism Industry. The author highlighted some websites of travel companies weighing the fitness of those websites in Search Engines.

I like to agree with the author as most of the websites we see in the Maldives may not be the best in terms of Concept, Presentation, Contents let alone Search Engine Optimization. And, I wonder why…is it because that’s how the owners of those website want people to see their site, or maybe they just want a website “for the sake of having one on the internet” as my friend author mentioned in his Blog.

Few weeks later I met with a young web designer who claimed to have ownership, copy right, design right of numerous travel related websites in the Maldives including some resort sites. After a lengthy conversation over few Lavazza all I learned from the young web designer is that none of the website owners really knew what they wanted to do with their sites. In other words none of the owners knew what they wanted to achieve from their website – meaning the “Purpose of My Website” was not on the contract. So, I guess the beginning of how we start to build a website is the root of an unsuccessful and irrelevant site showcasing our business.

Let’s let’s start planning your website now! You don’t have to be a web designer or a Search Engine Consultant to plan your website. All you need to know is what you want to achieve out of your site. There is a lot of information available on the internet for you to read and get some basic knowledge about websites, its contents, keywords, search terms, SEO etc etc. As you read make notes on areas that you feel are important to your website. Once you are ready with a plan, meet the web designer and tell him that I want a website that sells my product to this and that target audience. If he can deliver all your needs give him the contract and wait for the site to be ready!

Remember, most people fail in any business because they don’t plan adequately. So invest the time now to maximize your returns later.