The Architecture of Long-Term Website Success

Building a website that will be a success in the long term is like building a house, it happens piece by piece. You need to have all the right pieces and to have them put together in the most optimal way. That takes careful planning on your part, a blueprint of sorts. Whether you are building a house or building a website, it is crucial to start with a good foundation.

You need to have the foundational information piece. Your site should have dozens, or even hundreds, of pages of content covering all aspects of your subject matter. You can ensure that the site is comprehensive by having information on topics closely related to your subject matter. Your information framework can be constructed piece by piece until you feel it is complete. Over time, this will build up your credibility as an authoritative source.

From there, you need to have the search engine piece. With your content piece in place, you can get high rankings from the search engines. These high rankings put your site at the top of search results and send new potential customers your way every day.

You can put on additions by having content on other pages. This can take the form of links, general information, or downloadables like whitepapers that direct readers to your site. As well as drawing in potential customers, this content helps establish your image as an authority.

Now your website is self-sustaining. Customers are flowing in from search engines and from links on other sites. And you don't have to lift a finger or spend a dime.

But, just like building a house, if your materials are substandard your website won't stand the test of time. You'll have viewers who just pass through your site quickly, giving you a high bounce rate. Search engines will give you low rankings, sending fewer potential customers your way. You'll lack credibility, losing customers as well as potentially profitable affiliations with other businesses.

You can't rush quality either. A solid library of content, with links and content on other sites, takes time to build. Building it may take time and effort, but once established, it will continue to pay out dividends for years to come.

Also like building a house, you won't actually be putting in the drywall or wiring the electricity yourself. You make the plans, draw up the blueprints, but then you hire professionals to do the work. Hiring professional writers can help you build your content more quickly. Get experts for specific topics or types of content; writers for content and graphic designers for visuals.

Building your dream site one piece at a time, will ensure a success for years to come.