Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Maximizing Performance for Profitability

You're in business to make a profit, so how does your Web site fit into that goal? Although the answer to this question might seem obvious, you can easily forget that your Web site is both a marketing tool and a vehicle for obtaining profits. The common denominator between those two points is a site that's functional for customers. When you maximize your customer's ease of use and experience with your site, everyone wins!

To get the most from your site, we recommend creating a profitability plan. The plan is all about efficiency. You start by strategically identifying the features, technologies, and products for sale that enhance profitability — and getting rid of those that don't.

Ideally, you want to develop this plan before your first site goes up. Then you can address profitability within every page of the site as it's built. Not to worry, though: You can apply the same methodology to an existing site. The process just might take a little more time if you need to restructure the site to meet your goals. Either way, maximizing your profit is worth the effort.

When you're ready to create a plan that maximizes your potential for profitability, follow these steps:

1. Define the purpose of your site.

   You should be able to voice that purpose in only one or two sentences. The purpose should reflect your site's role within your overall business. ...