A PLAIN GUIDE
Before you open
Starting a new business on the mountain
The website works better when the owner names the customers, the services, the location, and the main next step before opening day.
Mark Kendrick wants a new mountain business to treat the website as part of opening, not a chore for later. Start with accurate business information, domain ownership, contact methods, and the action customers should take. Online visibility takes ongoing work. A ranking or a customer count is not promised.
When should the website start?
He would change the habit of treating the website as something to deal with after opening. He wants the owner to identify the customers, services, location, contact details, and business goals early. That gives a foundation for the website and the rest of the marketing.
What did an early project teach him?
One early online project began when he and a friend needed a website to help fund a professional golfer's career. It developed into a marketing tool where golf professionals could present themselves and seek support. They also created scheduling functionality.
That experience taught him to build around a real business need, rather than create a website simply to have one.
What comes first online?
First, establish the business information, domain ownership, contact methods, and the main action customers should take. Then build the essential pages, set up appropriate measurement, and establish search tools such as Google Search Console.
For an eligible business, a Google Business Profile is another important part of the plan, with the location or service area represented accurately.
How the profile gets on the map is in how to get your business on Google Maps.
How do you tell which marketing is useful?
New owners can put effort into several marketing channels without knowing which ones produce useful inquiries. He wants tracking considered from the beginning. Depending on the campaign, that may include tagged links, distinct offers, appropriate call tracking, or form sources.
The evidence should be used to improve what works.
A fuller look at that tracking is in how to tell which marketing is working.
What should be true before you open?
Before you open, make sure your information is accurate and someone is ready to respond to inquiries. A website cannot compensate for unanswered calls or unclear services.
Online visibility takes ongoing work. No responsible plan should promise a particular ranking or customer count.
What a new website includes, and what stays separate, is in what to expect with a new website.
What does the ongoing record look like?
A launch checklist and an initial roadmap help. His ongoing process includes a monthly work log, an analytics review, and recommendations for missing knowledge or images.
The owner should be able to see what was completed, why it mattered, and what comes next.
Related
- Guides
- What to expect with a new website
- How to get your business on Google Maps
- How to tell which marketing is working
- Small business website mistakes
- Website photos for mountain businesses
Questions
When should a new mountain business start its website?
Early. Identify the customers, services, location, contact details, and business goals before opening, so the website and the rest of the marketing have a foundation.
What should be set up first?
Business information, domain ownership, contact methods, and the main action customers should take. Then the essential pages, measurement, and Google Search Console. An eligible business also needs a Google Business Profile with the location or service area represented accurately.
Can a new website promise customers?
No. Information should be accurate, and someone should be ready to respond. Online visibility takes ongoing work. A responsible plan does not promise a particular ranking or customer count.
Opening a business on the mountain?
Tell Mark who the customers are, where you will be, and the action you want them to take. Call (909) 443-2260, or send a note on the contact page.