There are lots of excuses to not have a professional website. But in this day and age, a website is vital to almost any organization. Business is as competitive as ever and a website can be the deciding factor between adding clients and customers or closing up shop.
Here are the top five excuses for not having a professional website, and why they are wrong:
5. I Have a (Insert Social Media Platform Here)
The most obvious one for relying on sites like Facebook or LinkedIn for your Internet presence is that you don’t own your own content on these and other social media platforms. Go ahead check the terms of service. Also you can spend time and money to build your presence on a social media platform only to have the provider change an algorithm or feature that can drastically limits your reach. Also, keep in mind that social media platforms can fall in and out of favor and if your business is solely reliant on one platform your may loose your audience. Who remembers MySpace?
4. Maintenance is too Expensive
Because web developers know the software and techniques of maintaining a website so well, maintenance charges are often a very small fraction of the opportunity costs of maintaining a website in-house.
Hiring a professional maintain your website can help you focus on what is most important to you – your business. The right developer can also leverage technology to automate and speed your processes. Think about an eCommerce site that automatically responds to your client, sends you an email with the information, tracks sales data, creates packing slips etc. Automating those tasks via your website can help your work flows and save you time and money.
3. They Take Too Much Time To Put Together
Depending on your needs and the size of your site it may not be as much work as you think. Also, many web development firms offer such creative services as copyrighting, photography and video services that can help speed up the time it takes to put a website together. For example, if you don’t have time to write about your company a copywriter can interview you and write about your firm.
2. I Don’t Really Need A Website
At this point in time, if you don’t have a website potential customers and clients may not take you seriously or think that your business is legitimate. Beyond this, a website is the most cost effective way to let customers learn about your business and brand; A website helps to better promote your business, reach a larger audience and is open 24/7.
1. They Are Too Expensive
Yes, professional websites can be expensive. But remember, You Get What You Pay For!
You may resort to finding an alternate (entry-level employee, techie, intern, high school or college student)to build your website. But, when you consider the payroll hours and time involved; is doing a website in-house a good investment? What will happen when you need to deal with online issues that are beyond a basic level. Also, What happens when the intern or student returns to school? Is the site secure? If your website is hacked would that person be able to get your website back up?
Cost is relative. Sometimes the cost of a cheap/poor website can be more expensive to your brand than to hire professionals from the beginning.
Think about the old analogy of sweeping your stoop at a brick and mortar business; – the same is true about your website. If you create a positive experience for your clients and customers they will see the time and effort that was put into it. The opposite is also true if your site is outdated, doesn’t function well or you don’t have a website at all. Remember you only have one chance to make a first impression.