Your startup business is just getting off the ground. You created a business proposal, ironed out the details, and now you're ready to bring in the customers. You have a location, a phone, employees; everything you need to get started. The next logical step is to set up a website.

The question you have to ask is why do you want a website? What purpose should it serve? What are you trying to achieve by setting one up? If the answer to any of these questions is "I don't know" it's time to take a step back and think things over.

You would never start a business without first creating a business plan; laying out the purpose, options, target audience, promotion, etc. A website should be no different. Treat a website as you would any other project in your company; write a proposal.

The first thing this proposal should address is the purpose of the website. Is it designed to educate? Is it solely for promoting and selling your product? Do you want to use it to build a community? What do you want to accomplish in the end?

Once you have a purpose there are a few other things that you should ideally address:

• Target audience
• Navigation
• Overall design
• Account sign up requirement
• Multimedia elements
• Search engine options
• Hosting
• Maintenance
• Budget constraints
• Project schedule
• Launch dates

When you have a complete proposal you are now prepared to begin creation of your website. Remember that a website is like any other business investment. It requires a plan and a purpose.