a. To get rich
If your goal is to get seriously rich off a website you had better be in it for the long haul. You’re going to need to focus on what makes you unique, how you can add value; and, if you are under-capitalized, how you are going to cause ‘viral’ growth. If you are starting a website with a low budget and you want it to make you rich, you are competing against millions of others who want the same thing, some of whom have money. That does not necessarily mean that you cannot do it (there are success stories about stay-at-home moms retiring because of their web success, and even a teenage girl who made millions with MySpace layouts) but it is extremely competitive: and to win, you must compete, out compete, defend and grow virally.
b. To make some extra money
Most websites can achieve this goal for their owners with a moderate amount of work and a modest budget. If it is a brand new business idea, it will usually take some time to get things going.
c. To support an existing business
If you leverage your existing resources (fans, customers, employees) by using social media, you can greatly decrease the time it takes to build traffic and search rankings, and you may realize immediate results.
d. To solve a problem
Can you solve it best by connecting with other people? Can you solve it best with a custom web application? Can you solve it best with a value added service? Try to break it down to how the steps would work for the problem solving. Some clients whom we have done business with in the past have wanted to solve a problem, but they have not fully analyzed their own motives, making the attempt to please them a moving target..
e. “Because I love it and am really passionate about it”
Awesome! This is the best answer, no matter what your answers are to the other questions: everything is easier and you are way more likely to succeed if you really like what you are doing. It will be easier to connect with other people who are as passionate as you are, and to apply yourself to the work and thought that are necessary for success in a competitive environment if you are driven.
f. To connect with other like-minded people to achieve a goal: If you are a ‘people person’, it will benefit you to share your empathy:
with social networking features added your site, a like minded community is a powerful force online: plan clear calls to action that will pull at a like-minded person’s emotions and cause such people to join in.
If you're still looking for a good team to take your project to the next level, the authors of the 2010 Rothman Guide to Building Successful Websites are available for free, no obligation, creative consultations that you will not forget! Call 1-866-945-1113 or e-mail your contact info to info@socialmediasystems.