QUESTION:
Should I build and maintain my business Web site myself or pay someone else to do the work for me? -- Wesley L.
ANSWER:
When you say, pay someone else to do the work for you, Wesley, I am going to assume that you are talking about hiring a professional Web site designer to do the work and not your next-door neighbor's teenage son. If my assumption is correct, then read on. If not, go ahead and flip over to the comics section. You will get no good out of the advice I'm about to give, so you might as well consult Dilbert for your hot business tips.
Should you build and maintain your business Web site yourself or pay someone to do it for you? Let me answer your question with a couple of my own. Number one: is building and maintaining Web sites the key focus of your business? Number two: could your time be better spent doing more important things like, oh I don't know, say running your business? If your answers were no and yes, respectively, then you have no business building and maintain a Web site.
Remember this: every minute you spend on tasks that are not related to the key focus of your business is time spent to the detriment of your business. In other words, every minute you spend focusing on tasks that do not contribute to the growth of your business and thereby increase your bottom line is time wasted.
If you want to be a web designer, be a web designer. However, if the key focus of your business is building widgets, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that your time would be better spent building widgets, not Web sites.
Case in point: I once had a very wealthy dentist ask if I could teach him how to maintain his Web site so he wouldn't have to pay me to do it. Now my teeth had helped put this guy's kids through college, but that didn't seem to matter. At that moment he was more concerned about having to pay for changes to his Web site than my personal oral hygiene. Sure, I said, I'll be glad to teach you how to update your Web site, just as soon as you teach me how to clean my own teeth so I don't have to pay you to do it. He got the point. And he charged me enough for the cleaning to keep his site updated for months. Smart man.
Many business owners think they can't afford a professionally designed Web site and that simply is not true. While the old adage, "you get what you pay for" is never more true than when applied to Web site design, having a professional web designer do the work for you is money well spent. A well-designed Web site can bring you a many-fold return on your investment. You can't say that about too many other collaterals.
While it is best to leave Web site design and maintenance to the experts, it is up to you (or someone considered a subject matter expert within your company) to provide the designer with the content (text and photographs) that best conveys your company's message to your customers. A Web site, no matter how well designed, is meaningless if it lacks the content required to interest customers in the products you sell or services you provide.
Here's are a few questions that, once answered, will help ensure that your Web site's message is as appealing as its design. Go over these points with the designer before the design process begins as the answers will help determine the direction your Web site's design should take.
What Is The Purpose Of Your Web Site?
Most business Web sites have two purposes: (1) to educate the consumer and, (2) to sell them products or services. If you sell shoes, for example, the purpose of your Web site is to educate potential customers on the quality and durability of your shoes and as a result, to sell them shoes. If you paint houses the purpose of your Web site is to educate home owners on why your services are superior to other painters and sell them on hiring you to paint their house. By defining the purpose of your Web site you will give the designer the information required to create a Web site that best conveys that purpose to your target audience.
Who Is My Target Audience?
Your target audience consists of those folks you want to attract to your Web site: potential and current customers, future and current employees, possible investors, etc. Anyone who might be interested in your company and its products or services is a member of your target audience. Correctly identifying your target audience is vital since your Web site should be designed specifically to appeal to your target audience.
Put yourself in their shoes (or in front of their computers). Imagine your Web site through their eyes. If you were visiting a Web site such as yours what would you expect to find and what would you be disappointed not to find? Identify your target audience, then have your Web site designed to fulfill their needs and surpass their expectations.
What Content Should My Web Site Feature?
Your Web site content should be driven by the nature of your business. If you're a real estate agent, your site should feature photographs of homes you have for sale and information on buying and selling a home. If you own an auto body shop, your site might feature before and after photographs of cars that you have repaired. Remember to determine the purpose of your site, then develop the content to serve that purpose.
What's My Competition Doing?
The last question you should ask is one of the most important: What is your competition doing on the Web? Do a Google search for similar businesses and click around their Web sites. How are their Web sites designed? What message are they trying to convey? Are they doing a good job of conveying that message and as a result, selling products? What do you like about their Web sites? What don't you like? Make note of the things you like and the things you hate, then share your findings with your site designer.
Remember, you're not stealing trade secrets here.
You're just borrowing ideas.
Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim's latest books include "Small Business Success Secrets" and "The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!" Related Links: http://www.smallbusinessqa.com http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
Northbrook Cadillac Deville rentals .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareThe DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) states that service providers must... Read More
In this example I have used the map of the... Read More
Spend time planning your Web site. Before you design a... Read More
1) Word of Mouth The single most powerful form of... Read More
Launching a new small business website is often a long... Read More
An additional benefit of website accessibility is an improved performance... Read More
A company must earn and keep trust or sales don't... Read More
With more and more countries around the world passing laws... Read More
You know exactly what your organisation does and what your... Read More
Failure, just like success, is measured differently by each and... Read More
Creatively marketing your corporate site takes time in the set... Read More
Today it seems everyone is jumping on the entrepreneur bandwagon,... Read More
More and more businesses are recognizing the importance of content... Read More
Often time I've browsed sites and seen the same thing... Read More
Here's something you may never have thought of before:If I... Read More
They might not be wearing a mask and carrying a... Read More
If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More
My life's greatest passion is a safari hobby. And what... Read More
The needs of screen magnifier users are overlooked when implementing... Read More
You've put up a website to promote a product or... Read More
Alternate medicine finds its own place in the hearts and... Read More
So what do you do if need to get a... Read More
The definition of the phrase "Content Management" depends on what... Read More
Having an eye catching website is great, but are you... Read More
Huge Mistake #1: Creating a Website with Flash -- Did... Read More
Beason Mercedes Benz s500 rentals ..Like most average persons, I wanted some extra money to... Read More
An interesting eCommerce success factor that isn't precisely overlooked, but... Read More
Although CSS layouts have been around for years, they haven't... Read More
Many millions of dollars are being wasted on promoting and... Read More
If you have your own business website and you are... Read More
Is Your Web Site an Expense or an Investment?Why don't... Read More
The Internet is being used by local service business to... Read More
It is an undeniable fact that not everybody is keen... Read More
The Disability Discrimination Act says that websites must be made... Read More
In 1995 a new era of accessibility for disabled people... Read More
More and more businesses are recognizing the importance of content... Read More
"What's in it for me?" you ask. "Why should I... Read More
That's right. According to a recent study by Nielsen/NetRatings, Amazon.com... Read More
Globalize Your WebsiteThe Internet has unlocked a wide array of... Read More
Succeeding with an eCommerce website is a dream for many... Read More
Below, I have listed 8 simple steps that you can... Read More
There have been many significant changes to the face of... Read More
Does My Web Site Require A Web Database?If your web... Read More
1. Splash pagesMost of the time splash pages are uncalled... Read More
Can you imagine the hypocrisy of spending thousands of dollars,... Read More
What is SQL? SQL stands for Structured Query Language and... Read More
We all start out the same. Some have budgets, some... Read More
An additional benefit of website accessibility is an improved performance... Read More
Dance is how you pamper your soul and satiate your... Read More
Design and layout can make your communication come alive and... Read More
Web Development |