I'm often invited into companies to consult with them about online marketing and their new website. It happens often - a firm gets a new website developed by another company and we are invited to discuss online marketing strategy. The chief marketing person might say something like, "We just developed a new website and now we need to do something with it. What do you suggest?" Having experienced this very scenario several times, we've developed 3 very powerful questions to begin to shape a comprehensive, long term online marketing plan. Ready - here they are:

1. Can your website be easily found by the people for whom you want your website to be found? You might have an awesome website, but if it has poor visibility, then what's the point. Also, a peek into your web analytics data will tell you quickly if you are being found by people who already know your brand and/or by people who aren't already aware you exist. The answer here would most certainly drive online and off-line website visibility strategies.
2. If the people you want to find your website can easily find it (an affirmative answer to #1), then does the website have the information they are seeking to get them to convert - however you want them to convert? Does the content on your site connect to their problems, their pain-points, their opportunities - or is it just a bunch of blah-blah-blah? The answer here will drive navigation paths, content and presentation.
3. If people are finding you (#1) and you are delivering the content they are seeking (#2), then are you asking them to take the next step - ie. call-to-action? Remember, many people using the internet don't have long attention spans so we need to tell them what to do. Do you want them to buy something, set an appointment, download a whitepaper? If so, make it obvious how they can take the next step.

Use these 3 questions to get a conversation going about online marketing strategies. Good, honest answers to these questions will make the new website generate a return.