John Rampton wrote a piece for Forbes on the mistakes people make when starting their website. Rampton discusses five key points that a lot of web developers and entrepreneurs make.

1. No Business Plan and Marketing Strategy

Unlike “Field of Dreams,” if you build, he will not come. And, by he, we mean visitors to your website. Unfortunately, this is a common misconception people have when setting up their websites. They believe that they can purchase a domain name and will instantly see traffic. And, this can be difficult to accept when you’re relying on your website as a source of income.

Before investing a large amount of time and money into a website, take a step back and construct both a business plan and marketing strategy.

When we talk about your business plan, we’re not discussing a lengthy document that covers every scenario. Instead, a business plan should answer the following questions.

• What products or services are you selling?

• What is your niche market and who are your target customers?

• What solution to customers problems are you offering?

• Who are your competitors? Can you capitalize on their competitors weaknesses?

• What will your online presence consist of?

Read the other 4 mistakes people make on Forbes