One of the most important questions you will answer when you do a website or any other marketing will be this one: "What do you want your prospect/visitor to do?"

In marketing terminology this is known as a "call-to-action". Because you want your customer/prospect/visitor to DO something as a result of visiting your website, reading your brochure, hearing your ad, or whatever.

Now the most obvious call-to-action would be "buy my product". But that may be just a bit too direct and in-your-face. They say that marketing is a bit like a courtship process. You don't usually walk up to a complete stranger and say let's get married. You start by introducing yourself and getting to know them, and giving them a chance to get to know you.

So, you may start with a call-to-action that says, sign up here for some free information (hmmm... sound familiar?). Or you may say, give me a call for a free initial consultation. Or, bring this coupon to the store for a discount on xxxx product.

You want to make the first request of your prospect something very easy for them to say yes to.

Having said that, here is a bonus question - also a very important one: "Who is your customer?"

You might be tempted to say everybody and anybody. But in reality there is usually a much more specific group than that.

For example, one of the things I do is design websites. Now I could say that could be open to just about anybody. But I know that because of my background as an artist and later as a small business person, that those are the people that I will be best suited to do websites for.

To get even more specific, I'm aiming for those small business people and artists who are just starting their businesses, or still somewhat in the earlier stages of their business. Or at least in the first stages of getting a website.

That's who I believe I can do the best job for. And so those are the primary target groups I direct my marketing to. There may be others who find me and want websites done, and that's fine, but these are the groups I work best with.

So take some time to think about who your customer or client is, and then think about what step or action you want them to take as a result of visiting your website.