Buildings crumble without adequate foundations. So do marketing efforts.

For the inaugural edition of my marketing column, I wanted to lay a foundation for all the future articles. That foundation – both for this column and for all marketing initiatives – is your website. It’s neither hyperbole nor overstatement to suggest that every aspect of your marketing is affected by your website; therefore, it warrants your greatest attention and the bulk of your marketing resources (including time, talent, and treasure).

That can seem daunting, especially if you’ve had bad website experiences, as have so many business owners. Inadequate websites stem from a multitude of causes. Entrepreneurs often 1) do not understand (or care) how websites work, 2) get bad advice by having IT people handle the website work rather than digital marketing experts, 3) mistakenly think that clients and prospects do not search the web for their type of services, 4) allow their neighbor’s son’s coworker who is “good with computers” to build their site for $300 when they should actually spend four or five digits, and 5) focus on aesthetics and having a pretty site rather than focusing on usability and providing prospects with useful, actionable content that makes them want to buy their products or services.

But have no fear! We will fix all of those problems – and more – in this space. Watch for the next issue when we’ll tackle the meteoric rise of mobile computing and why your website must be “responsive.”