5 Steps to Building a Successful & Income Bringing Web Site

Almost anyone can build a website these days, but just building it will not guarantee your success online. Luckily, there are 5 steps you can follow that will make sure you build a website that can both create a free flow of highly targeted traffic and capitalize on it. At the end I will recommend a great tool to use for this whole process that can save you a lot of time and sweat!

Now, to the 5 steps: As planning is always an important key to success, so it's no surprise that the first two steps go into the planning stage:

1. Create your Content Blueprint
The internet provides information, and that is also what your web side will provide. If you provide the right content, you can attract the right people. That's why step one is to make sure you will have In Demand Content. You do that by researching the web for the most profitable search terms and key words related to the theme or topic of the website you are going to build. That will enable you to find your niche and build your site around it. In other words, by knowing what key words people are searching for in relation to your topic, you also know exactly what to write about in your theme based web site. Once you know that, you have your all important Content Blueprint.

2. Plan your Monetization
The next step is to make a diversified monetizing plan. You have to plan how you are going to capitalize on your web site, how it will generate revenue so it can bring you the income you wish for. There are basically 3 different ways to do that. You can easily combine all three if you wish. In the end it all depends on what fits you best.

Ecommerce is the first. You can sell products or services through your website. For instance, if your site is about golf you can sell products like equipment, books or golf clothes, or you can sell consultations, e-books and e-courses. Some people make and sell their own products, like artwork, pictures, designer bags and dresses etc. If you are a professional you can offer your services or simply refer people to your offline business. You can also write and sell your own e-books and e-courses that are relevant to your visitors' interests. If your site is a pure info site and you don't have anything to sell, don't worry; the next two are ways that can create revenue for you too.

Number two is to refer your visitors to non-competing businesses, either online or offline. A very popular and easy way to do that is to simply use affiliate programs. If you choose the right affiliate programs that really compliment your visitors' needs, this is a great way to capitalize on your website. By displaying affiliate links on your site you simply refer people to other people's websites and then earn commissions on all sales generated by these referrals. The most efficient way to promote your affiliate links is to integrate them with your content.

The third and obvious way, of course, is to let people advertise on your site. This is the most important income producer for most content sites. The easiest way to do that is by having Google ads on you site through Adsense. That way you earn money every time someone clicks on an ad showing on your site.

Now that your planning stage is over it's time to start building:

3. Build a Site for Both Humans and Search Engines
If you don't already have a domain name, it's now time to get one. Pick a catching name you like, preferably one that is short and easy to remember. It doesn't have to reflect your topic, but if it does it will most likely be easier to remember. For the hosting there are many good companies offering high quality hosting. Look at what additional services they offer that you may need, and then choose the one you prefer.

Once you are all set it's time to start working on your site. If you have the skills and know how to build it then just get going. If you don't, you can either have someone build it for you or you can use a site builder. Many hosting companies offer site builders and web designer services. SBI! offers a site builder that is very easy to use, even for total beginners. If you are not a beginner, you can easily integrate your own work into their site builder.

An important thing to consider at this point is that you are building a site for both for humans and search engines, and it should be easy to use for both. Build a site that is easy to navigate for your visitors and write your content based on your Content Blueprint. Quality content leads to quality visitors. That is what will create your free targeted traffic and ensure your revenue!

When writing your content you want to focus on building trust, credibility and relationships by providing the information your audience seeks: Give them a solution to their problem or a fulfilment of their wishes. That builds a warm and confident feeling and that is what pre-sells! If you don't already have a brand or name recognition this is vital. You are building a brand of one!

4. Own Your Own Traffic
Own your own traffic and you own your own business. Don't depend on advertising to create traffic to your site. Instead, let your content do the job for you. If you do that, it will create a genuine long term business that you own.

In order to do that, you have to make sure that the search engines will find you. That's why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is so important. You want to build search engine friendly URLs, do link building, directory listings, link maintenance, check key word ranking reports to find out how to optimize your content even more, etc. SEO will grow your traffic!

If you are new to SEO it can be overwhelming at first, but it is important. You can learn a lot about search engine strategies from various sites, blogs and articles. Just do some searching. You can even start by searching information for beginners. It's worth it! Now, there are a lot of companies out there offering SEO services, but they cost! SBI! will do all the SEO for you. You don't have to have a clue.

Now to the last but all important step:

5. Create Repeat Exposure
Repeat Exposure is the surest way to develop loyal customers, customers who trust your advice and follow your recommendations. These are the customers that are really worth your time. In order to create repeat exposure you need a way to stay in touch with your customers and build your credibility. The easiest and best way to do that is through a newsletter/e-zine. A newsletter is simply an informative e-mail that you send on a regular basis. It can be weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, whatever you prefer. Invite your customers to subscribe to your newsletter, but also let them know that they can unsubscribe at any time. This makes it easier to get subscribers.

Another popular way is to stay in touch with the customers is to create a blog for your site. A blog is more informal and you can add posts on your blog whenever you want. It doesn't need to be regularly. On your blog you can invite your customers to follow your blog and receive an e-mail every time there is a new post. This is a great way to be more personal. You can make comments on relevant current events or news, write about your favorite topics with your personal comments and recommendations, keep your customers informed about news and updates on your site etc. The sky is the limit! If you are new to blogging there is tons of information about it on the web. All you have to do is some surfing. SBI! will set up the blog for you.

These 5 steps will make sure you build a business, not just a website. Most importantly, a successful business that will attract it's own customers for free. Following all steps is not done in a day, but if done properly it really pays off.

Tips on Tools:
Here's the best tool I can recommend for anyone building a website: Site Build It! (SBI!). It's an All In One tool that will provide you with absolutely everything you need to build a successful website, plus it will litterally guide you through all 5 steps and do most of the work for you! SBI! is great for both beginners and the experienced. I personally prefer SBI! as it's extremely time saving, it makes sure I don't miss any important steps on the way and I don't have to know anything at all about SEO! They take care of that part, and they do it well. Their system also performs the key word research providing you with a complete list for your Content Blueprint, it automatically makes your website search engine friendly, it will set up your blog and/or newsletter for you and provide you with a Mail Out Manager to make it easy, and so much more. You can get more info about SBI! here.

Here's to free and highly targeted traffic!