Want a Sneak Peek at Your Future Web Site?

So, you’re thinking of starting a new web site – or changing your current one. Or, maybe you’re thinking of starting a blog. Don’t spend your time asking advice from blog or web site experts. Instead search for your future site today. It’s already out there.

Whenever we get “How do I…” questions, we always answer the same way: “Search for someone who is doing it best right now – and learn from them.”

“How do I design a web site that will capture my customer’s attention?”

“How should I go about creating a blog that will get readers that care?

The best answer to the questions above is almost always ignored or missed.

That’s because the future of your web site will not be in its design. The future of your blog will not be in the links. In fact, the future of your business will never be in any of the technical details.

The future of your web site or blog, indeed the future of your business, will be in the value you bring to your customer. That’s worth repeating, so we will – the future of your web site or blog, indeed the future of your business, will be in the value you bring to your customer.

On the Internet, the future is now – and it’s reinventing itself all the time.

Consider Daryn Kagan, who left CNN about a year ago to set out to make a difference with her mission: “One Woman, One Radical Idea—The World Is a Good Place.” Many, many experts in her industry said she would fail. Even more poked fun at her, or just dismissed her altogether.

But Daryn didn’t listen. She had a strong belief that people were fed up with the way the media focuses only on the negative – disasters, wars, kidnappings, tragedies. So without knowing where the money would come from, she went out on her own limb to create DarynKagan.com.

And the rest, as they say, is history. There really was a market for positive news – and she captured it – gaining media attention for her uphill battle in the process. She’s just hosted a PBS special and has had a big effect on other news organizations – even Brian Williams and Katie Couric now offer positive news segments.

Caren West, in an article titled “Good News on Tap” put it this way:

“Lately, the more I watch the news, listen to talk radio and read the paper, the more I find myself agreeing with Kagan that, while it’s important to be informed, it’s equally as important to be inspired.”

The world could use a few more Daryn Kagans – and they are beginning to appear. Carol Lin (another former CNN anchor) is starting her own positive venture. She believes that more can be done to battle cancer and to fight for a health care system that works. And she’s doing something about it.

I doubt if Carol knows where the money will come from for her quest. However, I don’t think web site design or blog links are foremost in her mind. I think she knows she has value to bring to the world – and the rest will take care of itself.

When she left CNN to start this new work, she said:

One of the great writers on my team gave me a card tonight with a photo of a ladder reaching for the heavens. And it reads “And the dreamer began to climb.”

You don’t have to start your own website to make a difference, though. If you want to change your blog, your business, or in fact, the world, take a few tips from those who are doing it best. Learn from their examples and reconsider the value of the content you offer.

You can start by sending Carol Lin a story about someone you know who has battled or is battling cancer. You can offer your opinions and solutions to her about our health care system. Or, you can simply send her an e-mail of encouragement. You can write to Carol at her web site – carollinreporting.com.

We predict that Carol Lin will be just as successful as Daryn Kagan in pursuing her dream. Both provide real value to their readers and customers. And so can you. Start now – the world is waiting for you.