Web sites you send people to – vs – Web sites that send people to you. Do you know the difference?
There really are three kinds of web sites on the Internet. If you already have a web site, you will fall into one of the following three categories. If not, think about “what you need”, “why you need it” and “if you need” a web site.
Know what you want, and what you want it for
Unless you know what kind of web site you want and or need, you are probably better off without one. Getting a web site just because “everybody” else has one – is not a good reason to get a web site – it doesn’t matter what kind of business you are in.
- Web sites that you send people to are
- Cost-effective
- Require comparatively little maintenance
- Are informative in nature
- Act as an online extension (or info brochure) of your business
This kind of web site is an excellent platform for someone who wants to showcase their work in the form of before and after pictures and would like to tell more about their business than can be contained in a business card. They might want to have downloadable forms for their clients ready to print, or has a client base that they want to periodically send information to.
This kind of web-site can be on page 500 on Google search and it won’t make a difference to your online presence, because it is YOU who will send your customers to IT.
It’s greatest value consists in offering more on your business and services in an appealing form. It also allows your potential clients to learn about your company from the comfort of their home without feeling pressured into having to interact.
- Web-sites that send people to youA web site that sends people to you, is what most people have in mind when they first think about getting a web site. They demand:
- Planning and research
- A fixed marketing budget
- Continual up-keep and updating
- Act as the online representation (or sales force) of your business
It is imperative to know that this kind of web site needs to be considered part of your overall monthly marketing strategy, and needs to be treated as such. It is ridiculous to think you are going to get if for free until it will attracts new customers. That would be like telling your print shop manager you will pay him for the business cards you ordered when they produce results, or tell the newspaper agency you will pay for the ad you just placed when you have received new clients from it.
How much or little response you will receive from your web site will depend on a number of factors, including the nature of your business, its competition, the amount of time and money you are willing to invest in your advertising. You can spend as little as$ 49/month, or as much as $1,490, and more; either one of which is fine as long as you know what is realistic to expect.
Markets with stiff competition will take longer to conquer than small niche site businesses. Having a web site means nothing in this case unless it is seen, preferably in the top third of page one in the search engines.
The greatest confusion and disappointment arises when businesses have a site that was built for them to send their clients to, but expect it will bring business to them instead.
How it gets seen will depend on how you treat it. However, using your web-site as an advertising tool is much more effective than a generic business listing ad, because people will search specifically for the kind of work you offer in the area of expertise you have.
- Lastly, Web sites that were acquired simply “because“
- Because someone told you to
- Because your competitor had one
- Because it was cheap
- Because your uncle’s brother’s nephew knew how to fill in a template
Most likely this kind of site was made, and put aside, because you never knew what you wanted it for in the first place. Consequently, you never knew what to do with it afterward. This kind of web-site is is silently lost in the vastness of the internet graveyard, and profits no-one, least of all you.
If this is what you have, but not what you want, give us a call, and we will gladly make recommendations based on the nature of your business, and point out what can realistically be expected.
No comments yet.