The website must accomplish two things. First, it must sell a product. This is done by pre-selling to the consumer, and using ?call to action? phrases and buttons to sell the product.

The second focus of a website is to build in Page Rank, climb higher in the searches, and increase the traffic of ?target audience? buyers.

Step #1: The Product

The first step to designing a good website is learning what the product must give before the consumer will buy.

What problems can the product solve?

What benefits will the consumer receive?

Can consumers buy the product locally?

Is the product available for less ? or free?

Is there a better product out there?

Does anyone need the product?

Step #2: The Consumer

Who wants to buy the product? This is a vital to the success of the website. Knowing the customer is important. However, there are two types of customer on the web. The first type have no intention of buying. They often surf the web looking for free information, and chatting in forums, but they never make the decision to buy.

They spend most of their time writing complaints or making their opinion heard. These people are a waste of time and resources for the Internet Marketer.

The second type of consumer may not enter the site with the intention of buying, but they can be sold. These are the people the website needs to target.

What do they want?

Why do they need it?

What bugs the buyers?

What do buyers hate about the product?

How much is the consumer willing to pay?

How do they communicate?

Who are they?

What do they value?

What is important to them?

Step #3: The Sales Method

The first two steps will define the sales method needed to sell people. There are as many selling tools, and sales aids used to sell as there are products to sell. Each target audience is sold a different way. A squeeze page may attract someone who is new to the web, but it will feel excessive and over-the-top to web savvy consumers with a post secondary education.

Squeeze Pages

Text selling

Images and Graphics

Emotional Triggers

No Sales Pressure

Clowns saying ?buy now? might encourage someone who is emotional and expressive, but they will turn off someone who sees themselves as professional or busy. The grammar style used is also important.

Are your consumers health and environmentally conscious, or do they buy fast food and watch television all night?

The good news ? it is easy to find the answers to these questions. The answers are all available in the forums, on blogs, and on the competition's website. Look at the vernacular and vocabulary used by the people who need your product. This is where ?skill level? comes into play.

Step #4: Consumers Skill Level

The last step is to gear everything toward one skill level: Uninitiated, Beginner, Novice, Advanced, and Professional. Talking over, or under your target audience will cost sales. Find content that pre-sells your potential customer.

As the website grows, and the business matures, it can expand to take in different skill levels, but it is vital to make sure that the consumers know where to go to find the information they need.

One might ask what skill level would have to do with a product like an MP3 player. But, it is important to realize that all products have a skill level. A generic MP3 player will have a different audience than an Ipod.

A business computer will have a different audience than refurbished computers sold on eBay. This differentiation is based on their skill level, both the skill level developed by the consumer, or the amount of power and flexibility needed by the consumer.

These four steps will help you develop a website that will compliment your Internet marketing campaign and drive people to your business's shopping cart.