There is a saying that I used to put in all of my business packages: In the future there will be two types of businesses: Those online and those out of business. The quote is supposedly attributed to Bill Gates, although I’m unsure if he ever really said it.
Nonetheless, many businesses over the years have heard something similar, usually from a salesman or local web designer bent on getting their business. Usually the web designer got the gig, built a site, and it sat. There was no integration of products, no call to action, no active marketing of the site.
Interestingly, most of these companies don’t even promote their website themselves. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen commercials on TV for businesses that I know have websites, but there’s no mention of it. Some don’t even put it on their business cards. What do they expect?
Well, they want ROI. Problem is, most business owners have no clue how a website can be an income-generating machine for their company. They see a website as another marketing expense, usually one that “doesn’t work”. So the website sits, or even worse it goes unrenewed. Soon they are another business with no website, an even worse fate than having a crappy one.
And when Mr. Web Designer (or Mr. SEO) comes along and tries to engage them in a discussion about a website, they are immediately disinterested. “We had a website, it was useless” is usually how the discussion goes. And it’s pretty hard for a designer to get them to change their minds, no matter how good he/she is.
The problem wasn’t the website, it was the fact that it wasn’t promoted. I’ve said many times Build it and they won’t come – but that’s exactly true. Without promoting and marketing your new asset (and your website is an asset), it will never grow. In fact, just as happened above, the website turned into an expense and no more.
Websites need purpose, they need goals. Before you ever sit down to build a site, clearly state the goals that you want it to accomplish. Will it tell customers how to find you? Will it sell products? Will it bring in leads? Will it promote your charity or non-profit? Will it become an income-generating avenue for your sales team?
If you tried a website in the past, and it failed, don’t be afraid to consider doing it again. Find a good designer that knows SEO and do it right – you’ll be happy you did.
Related posts:
- STOP! Don’t Build That Website!
- When You Need Your Website “Yesterday”, Don’t Call Me
- Five Things You Can Do to Your Website Right Now to Achieve Higher Rankings
- Giving Away Free Content Can Make You Money
- Your Website – Marketing Machine or Afterthought?
Include on that list Business-to-Business b2b, What an asset a b2b website could be. I think this is probably often overlooked.
Also service related industries, the Internet simply begs for their inclusion, yet it is for the most part an untapped market.