The Webmaster BUSINESS Masters Course was written for Webmasters who are ready to stop dreaming and | Page 5

on the Internet, and other Web site designers that need subcontractors for specific
tasks.
6) Define your business goals clearly. This is often one of the most difficult
sections of the plan to determine.
Don’t consider your goals as wishes on a list (“I’d like to sell 500 Web sites this
year”). Write down a set of well-defined realistic objectives. All your activities for
the next few months will focus on meeting them. For example, if you plan to sell
six Web sites within the next twelve months, you need to give some thought as to
how you are going to accomplish that feat.
Take some time to consider your services and potential market. Set
business/sales goals that you think are challenging, yet achievable. Stay away
from goals that are way beyond your reach or that are too easy to attain…

Webmaster BUSINESS Masters Course
13
Business Goals:
Our goal is to become profitable by the end of the second year of
operation. We will do this by selling a minimum of six Web sites in
the first year and twelve in the second. We will achieve these goals
through aggressive marketing and promotion to specific segments of our
target market -- that is professionals (doctors, lawyers, etc.)
7) List your coordinates. These include…
a) Civic address (which is also your home address!)…
Location of Main Office:
Apple Website Design, Inc.
123 Winesap Road
Seattle, Washington 98101
b) Mailing address. This might be the same as your Main Office, or it could be a
private mail box…
Apple Website Design, Inc.
413A Granny Smith Ave.
Seattle, Washington 98101
c) URL…
http://www.AppleWebsiteDesign.com
10) Describe the legal construction of your business. It can be a sole
proprietorship, partnership, or a corporation. It may also have special features
depending on local requirements and regulations…
Legal Construction:
Apple Web site Design will be structured as an S-Corporation.
11) Define who is running your business and their position in the company.
The format of this section may change depending on the legal construction…
Principal Officers:
Your Name -- President
VP’s Name -- Vice President
Treasurer’s Name -- Treasurer
Your business plan is a living document. It will change and evolve as your
business develops. With time, you will gain a better understanding of how
everything fits together, and your original plan may require some revisions. Try
to keep it in tune with your daily reality.

Webmaster BUSINESS Masters Course
14
(Start Your Own Home-Based Website Design Business provides a more in-
depth discussion on this essential business element.)
Now for a quick summary of your actions so far…
You have gained a basic understanding of the three kinds of business structures
and, hopefully, you have decided which is best for you. (If you are still not quite
sure, call your local small business support organization and discuss different
scenarios with them.)
You also have a workable outline for your business plan -- a plan that you spent
time reflecting upon and discussing objectively with a friend or two.
So now it’s a matter of following your plan!
Don’t just file it away. Check your progress against your plan and, in turn, check
your plan against your progress. If you deviate, get back on track. If your goals
change or you get new information, revise your plan accordingly.
It’s critical that you maintain a clear vision of your goals and that you have a well-
defined path to get there.
With that roadmap in place, we will turn our attention to three essential marketing
“secrets” that will change the way you look at Web sites…
Blogging vs. a Web site? Which is best for your business. This page will help
you make your decision…
http://blogorbuild.sitesell.com/

Webmaster BUSINESS Masters Course
15
3. Web Site Marketing Secrets
No business can survive without marketing. Not my business. Not your
business. Marketing brings in clients. And clients bring in the money that keeps
your business alive.
As Webmasters, we sharpen our design skills constantly and try to keep up with
new developments in the field -- trends, new tools, etc. However, for many of us,
our understanding of marketing theory is less refined.
What is the core meaning of marketing?
There are sales and marketing professionals who do nothing but discuss and
debate what marketing really means. They hold seminars and write books and
articles on the subject. In my opinion, these people have too much time on their
hands.
As far as you and I are concerned (as Webmasters), marketing means promoting
your own business and your client’s business. Anything you do to attract
potential customers and encourage potential sales (or whatever action creates
income) is marketing.
You may not realize it yet, but Web site design is all about marketing. For the
most part, your clients will want to promote their products/services (i.e., their
business) online and they will pay for your Webmaster services through their
advertising budgets.
Very few clients will pay thousands of dollars for a Web site just for the sake of
having a Web site. They expect a return on their investment, whether that
ROI is more