You've got a fantastic idea for a hot new Web site. You've presented the idea to others and have the financial backing lined up to launch your project. Maybe you found an angel investor, got a home equity loan, or talked your rich uncle into loaning you the funds. Now what do you do? What happens if you misappropriate those funds? How can you insure that you don't lose the money that has been entrusted to you?

The answers to these questions are different for every project, but there are four common stumbling blocks that kill the majority of financially backed Web sites. Sidestep these roadblocks and your chances of success increase dramatically -- assuming that your idea is innovative and unique.

Stumbling Block 1: Improper Allocation of Funds

There are two typical fiscal mistakes. First, some companies are immobilized by the fear of spending their funding lest they cannot repay it. This fear keeps them from investing the money in the business. They are so afraid of using the money that they hoard it in a bank account and don't spend enough to accomplish the steps that need to be taken.

A second common mistake is to spend too much initially on programming and other fixed expenses before proving that the site can draw traffic. For example, let's say an Internet site will offer career placement tests. They could either score tests manually, emailing participants their results for a while until traffic increases, or they could spend thousand(s) programming the site to produce automatic results. Money would be better spent on marketing than on expensive programming until the site builds up enough traffic. Money should still be set aside for development so that when the marketing works, there are funds left for programming. Proper appropriation of funds is critical.

The person who invents a new Internet concept is often blinded by their devotion to their idea. They can begin to act like elephants trying to turn on a dime. The Internet changes rapidly. If you are too locked into one idea, you may not adjust to the market fast enough. If you hang on too long, you may be the proverbial captain who goes down with the ship. Objectivity and adaptability are critical.

On the other hand, others adapt too much -- continually changing their project without ever accomplishing anything. Adapting too little or too much can wreak havoc on your Internet project. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to help you see what needs to be done.

Breakdown in communication between personalities is the third roadblock. Typically, visionary people who see the big picture conceptualize projects. They have lots of ideas and are ingenious and resourceful. But, these people are typically not technically minded. They generally need to hire detailed technicians to create the project. Unfortunately, visionaries and technicians do not communicate on the same channels.

Visionaries tend to speak in general outcomes. A visionary might say something like; ''The site will send each subscriber news based on their interests.'' The technician says, ''Ok, so give me specifics.'' The technician needs to know the exact steps a visitor will take through the site. S/he needs to have minute details like what questions are asked on a sign-up form. S/he needs to know what news feeds will be distributed, where they come from, how they will be fed to the visitor, etc. A typical visionary says, ''I don't know, you figure it out. That's why I'm paying you.''

Projects come to grinding halts over the simple fact that technicians need specifics and most visionaries don't know how to give them.

What's the answer? A middleman -- a strategist -- someone who understands the visionary's nebulous benefit statements and can translate them into step-by-step instructions and plans of action for the technician(s).

Stumbling Block 4: Poor follow-through

Many companies go to elaborate efforts to create Web sites, but then have no mechanisms for keeping the site marketed consistently, fresh, updated and responsive to visitor feedback. Individuals or a teams of individuals must be assigned to handle marketing and to answer visitor questions quickly and politely. Site content must be kept fresh and informative. Static Web sites do not encourage repeat visits, and it takes repeat visits to turn prospects into customers.

Pehrson Web Group, DreamWorks Coaching, and The Idea Lady have teamed up to help visionaries bridge the gap between their vision and reality by helping them overcome the four deadly roadblocks to Internet success. The combination of Pehrson Web Group's Internet project development expertise, the strategic development, recruiting and planning skills of DreamWorks Coaching, and the visibility and marketing genius of The Idea Lady will help you achieve bottom-line results from your Web project. For more information, call 800-524-2307.

Marnie Pehrson, a mother of 6, has been highlighting truth and talent for 15 years. Whether it's writing a novel that spotlights individuals who've made a difference in the world or helping a talented entrepreneur create a platform for his life's work, Marnie underscores truth and talent in innovative and compelling ways. She is the creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com and helps experts promote their products and services online. For more information on her various projects and books, visit http://www.pwgroup.com. Contact the author, Marnie Pehrson , at marnie@pwgroup.com
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