7 Hidden Secrets that Lead to Success in Love and Websites

As we wrap up Love Your Website month, there are a lot of similarities between what it takes to build a great marriage and what it takes to build a great website.

The Early Excitement

With relationships, there is often a lot of focus on the passion and excitement that we feel in the early stages of the relationship. It’s all new, we’re making things up as we go, and everything seems to be clicking.

The same is true with a website. Usually there is a lot of passion and excitement in the early stages. It’s fun, it’s creative, and everything seems to be clicking.

That early excitement, though, is unsustainable.

We can’t spend 24 hours a day 7 days a week thinking about our new love or our new website. Other aspects of life call for our time and attention – work, ministry, friends. This is where relationships and website can get derailed. Even if the passion is still there – and hopefully it’s not just there but still growing – it takes work and intentionality to flourish.

It’s not the big, glamorous things that everyone else sees that make a relationship or a website successful. The hidden, behind the scenes things are far more important.

What are those hidden, behind the scenes things?  Glad you asked…

7 Hidden Secrets that Lead to Success in Love and Websites

1) Set goals. Goals give our relationships and our websites direction. They tell us what where we’re going and what we’re working towards.

2) Create a plan. Once you know where you’re going, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to get there. The plan for a successful marriage might include regular weekends away, date nights, praying together. The plan for a successful website might include a content schedule, a weekly newsletter, consistent engagement in social media.

3) Schedule time. Plans take time to implement. We are all busy, so usually if it’s not on a calendar it doesn’t get done. If you are serious about reaching your goals and implementing your plans for a relationship or a website, you’ve got to schedule time for it.

4) Do things together. Obviously a relationship is going to be much healthier if you do things together. Truth is though, just about everything in life, including online communications, is more fulfilling when done with people. Build a team. Plan and work together.

5) Communicate. Communication is the oxygen of a relationship. Similarly, communication – both with your visitors and your web team – is like oxygen for your website. Without it, it dies.

6) Be consistent. Hollywood has tried to convince us that a go-with-the-flow, follow-your-heart attitude leads to fulfilling relationships. Truth is, though, we need to lead our hearts not be led by our hearts. Small, consistent, intentional expressions of love are key. The same is true with a website. Consistency is essential. Make sure your calendar is always up to date, your weekly newsletter always goes out on the same day, your podcasts or blog posts are published by their deadlines, email and contact forms are always quickly responded to.

7) Have someone hold you accountable. As the old hymn says, we are all “prone to wander.” An accountability partner can help keep us on track with both relationships and websites.

Bonus: Celebrate the wins. When you do the secret, behind the scenes work that nobody else can see. You’ll have the kind of success that everyone will notice. When that happens be sure to celebrate your good work and God’s blessings!

What do you think?

Do you agree that the hidden behind the scenes work is more important to the success of a relationship and a website than the big flashy things? Why or why not?

What action step are you going to take to build a more successful website?