In this session we’ll be walking through the process of building a business website, from initial planning to site launch, for less than $100. Attendees will walk away with an actionable list of to-do items that they can follow to build a business site for themselves or for their clients.

1. 10 Steps to Build a
Business Website for
Under $100
Andy McIlwain @WordCamp Hamilton 2015
Saturday June 6, 2015

2. Hello! I’m Andy.
Andy McIlwain
Front-End Developer, Brainrider
Co-Organizer, Toronto WordCamps & Meetups
Instructor, Camp Tech
twitter.com/andymci
linkedin.com/in/andymci
slideshare.net/andymci

3. What We’re Covering
1. ProfileYour Client
2. Identify Challenges & Objectives
3. Profile the Audience
4. Create a Sitemap
5. Determine Calls toAction
6. Gather Information
7. Layout & Design
8. The Build
9. Launch & Post-Mortem
10. Maintenance & Support
You’ll walk away with an
actionable list of to-do items to
build a business site inWordPress!
Not teaching you how to code a
WordPress site, use specific
plugins, or customize themes!

4. Step 1:
Profile Your Client
“Who is your client, and what do they do?”

5. Step 1: Profile Your Client
Sum this up in a paragraph or two to describe your client:
• Who are they?
• What do they sell?
• What problems do they solve?
For Example:
“MiskTechnology Services (MTS)
provides on-site and remote tech
support to small businesses.They
help their customers manage IT
issues without needing an IT
department.”

6. Step 2:
Identify Challenges &
Objectives
(Note: Probably not nihilists.)

7. Step 2: Identify Challenges &
Objectives
• What problems are your client facing?
• What’re the goals for the site?
Primary, Secondary,Tertiary
• How will we determine success?
What are the metrics?
Create an itemized list. Keep it simple.
simple.
Example:
“MTS wants to reduce low-
value support calls by 20%
(tracked via helpdesk) by
directing customers to a self-
service knowledge base for
common issues.”

8. Step 3:
Profile the Audience

9. Step 3: Profile the Audience
Describe three segments in detail:
Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
• Who are they?
• What problems do they have?
• How can your client solve those
• Why is your client a good fit for that
segment?
Remember: Always, always, always have
client’s audiences in mind.
Example:
“Small businesses in the
GTHA with 10 or more
employees struggling
with day-to-day IT
issues. We have a local
helpdesk and on-site
personnel to dispatch
for them.”

10. Step 3 Cont’d: Understand the
Journey
Symptoms
• What pain is
the audience
feeling?
Condition
• What is the
source of the
pain?
Remedy
• What do
they need to
do to stop
the pain?
Implementation
• Why should
they choose
your client?
Early-stage
prospects
(leads).
Late-stage (hot!)
prospects (leads).They’re learning!
Tip: “Prospects” and “leads” are terms for potential customers.

11. Example: Tech Support
Symptoms
• “We keep
wasting time
troubleshooting
our technology.”
Condition
• “We don’t have
the in-house
expertise to
manage IT.”
Remedy
• “We need on-
call IT support
that can come
to our office.”
Implementation
• “Which IT
support should
we choose, and
why?”

12. Example: Web Agency
Symptoms
• “Potential
customers
can’t find us
on Google.”
Condition
• “There’s
nothing
about us on
the web.”
Remedy
• “We need to
build a
website for
our
business.”
Implementation
• “Who should
we get to
build our
website, and
why?”

13. Example: Financial Planning
Symptoms
• “We’re
having a
hard time
paying our
bills.”
Condition
• “We’re
wasting
money on
things we
don’t need.”
Remedy
• “We need a
financial
plan to
guide our
spending
habits.”
Implementation
• “Who should
we go to for
financial
advice, and
why?”

14. Example: Home Contractor
Symptoms
• “Water is
leaking
through
our
ceiling.”
Condition
• “Our roof is
old and
decaying.”
Remedy
• “We need
to replace
the roof
and repair
damage.”
Implement
• “Which
contractor
should we
go with,
and why?”

15. Step 4:
Map It Out

16. Step 4: Create a Sitemap
Map everything out. What pages are
going to be created? A simple
spreadsheet is good to use for this.
Consider:
• What content exists already?
• What segment does it speak to?
• What else do you need?

17. Example Sitemap
Page Audience Purpose CTA
Home General Introduce business,
showcase promotions
Navigation
Products Office Managers Lists all products we sell. Purchase/Order
Services Office Managers,
CIO
Services offered, rates,
pricing, availability.
Request a Quote
Blog Public, Employees,
Partners
Recent company news,
events, alerts, updates.
Subscribe for Updates
About Us Public, Employees Corporate information,
careers, press releases.
Contact Us
Resources DIY Troubleshooters Guides, FAQs, templates,
tools, calculators
Download
Customer Support Existing Customers View support terms, request
support
Contact Support

18. Step 5:
Determine CTAs
CTA = CallTo Action =Asking the site visitor to do something.

19. Step 5: Determine Calls to Action
(CTA)
• What CTAs are appropriate to each page?
• What’s the most important CTA across everything?
• Don’t overdo it with the calls to action.

20. Step 5 Aside: Climbing CTA
Mountain
• Book an Appointment
• Request a Quote
• Buy Now
Sell
• View Demo
• Download Information Sheet
• See Pricing
Evaluate
• Download Guide
• Read Tutorial
• Subscribe for Updates/Discounts
Educate
• “How do I…?” (SEO)
• Share on Social Media
• Link To Us
Attract

21. Step 6:
Gathering Intel (Forms!)

22. Step 6: Gathering Intel (Forms!)
Many of your CTAs will require prospects to fill out
a form. In a spreadsheet, list out the forms you
need to build, the fields, and the information that
you need to gather.
• What information does the client need?
• What information does the client want?
Rule of thumb:The more you ask for, the less you’ll
receive.

23. Step 7:
Layout & Design

24. Step 7: Layout & Design
• Gather & incorporate assets. (Client logos,
colours, fonts, brand guidelines, etc.)
• User expectations have been set.
(You aren’t building an art installation.)
• Using a theme or building from scratch?
Doesn’t matter. Keep your pages fast and
focused.

25. Step 7 Aside: What layouts do you
need?
Home Page Archive (Index) Post
Gateway to all the
things.
One focus per page. Posts, search results. Engaging & shareable.

26. Step 8:
The Build

27. Step 8: The Build (“The Shopping
List”)Item What? Cost
Hosting, Domain A Small Orange (plans start at $35/year) $35
Theme Refer to layouts, I like Genesis as a foundation to build on. $60
Pages Refer to sitemap, use CMS Tree View to map out $0
CTAs Refer to CTA plan, use plugins for controlling visibility $0
Forms Formidable (Plugin) $0
Lead Tracking LeadIn (Plugin) $0
Email Service
Provider
MailChimp (Service) $0
SEO Optimization WordPress SEO by Yoast (Plugin) $0
Backups BackWPUp or Updraft Plus (Plugins) $0
Security Wordfence (Plugin), Members (Plugin) $0
Analytics Yoast Google Analytics (Plugin) $0
Grand Total $95

28. Step 9:
Launch & Post-Mortem

29. Step 9: Launch & Post-Mortem
Launch
• Go live when people are there to fix
• Go live when there’ll be minimal
(Check Analytics for traffic trends.)
Post Mortem
• Internal huddle! What went well?
could be improved?

30. Step 10:
Maintenance & Support

31. Things to keep in mind…
• Monthly Retainers = Recurring Revenue
• Tie into reporting; show clients their
money is being spent on something real.
• Set limits on what you cover in
maintenance (new projects have a way
of sneaking in…)
• Have clear expectations.

32. Recap!

33. What We Covered
1. ProfileYour Client
2. Identify Challenges & Objectives
3. Profile the Audience
4. Create a Sitemap
5. Determine Calls toAction
6. Gather Information
7. Layout & Design
8. The Build
9. Launch & Post-Mortem
10. Maintenance & Support

34. The Takeaways
• Building a business site involves more
than just building the site.
• Planning, expertise, guidance,
execution, support – this is what you’re
paying for when you hire a professional.
• Each step of this session is actionable.
Download the worksheet @
www.andymci.com/website100/

35. Thank You! Questions?
Some calls to action for ya:
• Each step of this session is actionable! Download the plan
template @ www.andymci.com/website100/
• Are you a WP developer who loves this approach to sites?
www.brainrider.com/about-us/become-a-rider/
Find Me Online!
• twitter.com/andymci
• linkedin.com/in/andymci
• slideshare.net/andymci