In my 15 years of experience developing web-based applications, I have found the three biggest challenges facing a company or individual wanting to build a website are:
Most people are not web programmers. They are in the business of their business, and not in the business of designing or programming a web site. Most people wouldn't know how to register a domain name, set a nameserver, or configure a database. And that's okay. We all have our areas of expertise, so we focus on what we do well and enlist the service of others to do for us what we cannot do. Whether it be a garage mechanic, a plumber or an accountant, we entrust our vehicles, homes and finances to those who have the necessary training and experience to do the job well.
It is no different with a website. Sure, trying to do it yourself won't cause your car to break down, your toilet to back up, or cause you to get audited by the IRS, but the financial impact can be just as serious. Every moment you spend working on or trying to navigate the steps of creating a site from start to finish is time spent away from building your business. For example, if you can generate $50 per hour working your business, does it make sense to spend 40+ hours building a website when you can hire someone to do it for $1000 or less? We all gripe about our car mechanic making $100 for about 15 minutes of work, but the fact is if we tried to do it ourselves it would probably take 10 times as long and the job would end up being done wrong anyway (or am I the only one?).
One thing I really like to determine is why my clients want a site. Is it to generate sales, provide a medium of communication with your customers, or simply to gain credibility? Will you be referring your existing contacts to your site, or do you want the site to bring contacts to you? In many cases, this depends heavily on the type of business you are in. A website can serve the purpose of providing basic information to customers that would be time-consuming (therefore costly) to have to provide through other means. Examples are store hours, location and upcoming events. In other cases, it provides a means to keep your customers engaged, or as a means to provide additional information for products purchased. Examples include access to warranty information, user manuals, or other helpful information about your products. A website can also be used to attract new customers either on its own or in conjunction with other forms of advertising. This can range from simply having your website on your card, having a radio commercial refer to your site or showing up in a Google search result for a given topic.
This is all pretty basic stuff, but why you want a site can and should determine how it's built. You must envision your typical visitor's purpose for coming to your website and, more importantly, what you would like them to do once they get there. In the case of ecommerce sites (i.e. where you are selling products or services through your site), the goal is clear. Get them to buy something! Whether selling or not, you need to prioritize the behavior you are trying to encourage, and allow other elements to take their place behind it. An interesting example of this is Craigslist. To this day, the site has no design whatsoever implemented on it, yet is one of, if not the, most highly utilized classified sources in the world. Craig's focus is on delivery of information, to the neglect of all other interests. I'm not saying your site should look like that, but it demonstrates clarity of purpose.
Included in our service is a consultation on your goals. We will determine the best strategy for achieving your objectives for your site, and eliminate distractions.
A website is meant to change to reflect the state of your business in real-time. Nothing will lose your visitor's interest faster than presenting out-of-date information. This sends a message that you and your business are no longer a going concern. Unfortunately, the reality is that once you have finished the initial development of your site, it is very difficult to retain the interest of your programmer as they have likely moved on to another project. Stating from experience, the overhead of dealing with small changes and updates makes doing them the least financially rewarding aspect of the job. Also, standards and practises in this industry change quickly, so what works now may not work with the next browser release or change in Google's search algorithm. Our service allows for continual engagement with your site. As updates and new features are developed they become available to all clients. Your website will not become an orphaned project. You will not need to chase down your developer or have to hire someone new to make changes because our system ensures perpetual support and advancement.
For more information, or to inquire about getting your web site, please click here to get started. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
