"You can't handle the truth!!"
Jack Nicholson in a Few Good Men.
Back in the mid-90s when this whole Web thing started ramping up, if you slapped up a site you had built yourself and registered it with the Search Engines of the time, all of which were free, chances are you experienced some level of exposure and success. For very little effort and minimal expense.
Fast forward to now... I've found I'm doing my Jack Nicholson impression more often than I care too - and the worst part is I really don't do a good "Jack" at all.
When studying human behavior the phrase "Humans are slow to change" always seems to pop up. Based on my experience, when it comes to online success - that is an understatement. I've been consulting and developing Web programs for a decade - and have experienced quite a few who refrain from embracing the reality of how to attain ROI (Return on Investment) with their programs. They are smart, competent and capable in running their own business. However, when they are provided the reality of the necessary variables and the required resources to succeed online - they simply don't like them. Too much work, too much to learn, too much cost. They really want to believe the spam on the topic is true!
From the start, I took the stance that unlike the many who hang out their shingle in this business, without any business experience by the way, that my clientele deserve to have the benefit of knowing exactly, specifically, precisely what is necessary and required to succeed online from a business point of view to get that much desired ROI. It is then up to each individual to make the appropriate decisions to get down that road. With some folks that isn't a very popular methodology. These tend to be the same folks who want to believe that things have not changed since that easy and free time frame at the beginning.
Rather than sell hype, easy, get rich type of pitches so very prevalent online, my methodology is one of truth, reality and business staples. I choose to be the one sincere experienced voice each client can trust amongst the hype and misinformation that lands in their inbox each day. I'll do my job - every time - above and beyond what the client perceives they are paying for, but even the best looking, properly structured and designed site will produce zilch if the site owner doesn't continue to invest time, effort and additional funds to nurture, market and grow their site - their online business.
So, here are the hard cold facts about having a Web site - like 'em or not isn't the issue - the issue is if you really want to be an example of online success.
-
HAVING A WEB SITE IS HAVING A BUSINESS:
I've written several articles about how having a Web site is the same thing as having a business off-line. With its unique twists and turns of course. Needless to say some folks simply do not want to deal with the issues of budgets, time and organizational management. Many never have run a business off-line and seem to think that with their Web site, knowing how to run a business isn't necessary. Then add the horrors of the basics of learning what the heck online is all about so they can use it effectively, proficiently, professionally and their evil twin makes his appearance. Starting up on a shoestring can only be done with realistic expectations. If you don't deal with these issues you won't produce a profit. No profit, no growth. No growth, no business. Don't blame the Web, don't blame technology, blame the fact the site wasn't run as a business - you're off-line. -
DESIGN, FUNCTIONALITY, USEABILITY:
All too often design considerations and usability issues are negated in lieu of what the site owner wants because they like a certain color combination, a flashy animation or layout. Many times these decisions are not based on offering the most pleasing and user-friendly environment for site visitors, solely what the site owner "wants". In addition, Search Engine placement, which is highly based on issues that need to be considered during the development of the site are all too often minimized for the wrong reasons. The goal is to have as many folks in your target market be able to find your site, use your site effectively, contact you and inevitably, to do business with you. Be open to new ideas particularly the advice of those who have a track record of online business success and the knowledge to guide you with your program. Ignore the spam about online success, however ignore advice from those with a successful online track record at your own peril. Get want you want or like and if your visitors don't agree or can't find you - you're off-line.
-
HAVING A WEB SITE IS AN ONGOING INVESTMENT:
Try and find one off-line business that requires no effort, no owner involvement, no planning or ongoing investment that you can pay your the bills with. They do not exist. Same online. From investing in a quality cross-platform design that needs to evolve with trends or you look old hat to functionality that is intuitive and consistent - these are must haves to succeed. And, quality comes at a cost. You need to have an experienced online expert on your team to guide you through the minefields of doing business online, which includes also budgeting the necessary marketing services and programs they may recommend for optimum network exposure. Without these investments - ongoing - you're off-line.
-
MARKETING HAS CHANGED FOREVER:
Online is interactive. Forget about comparing this to what you are familiar with such as the phone book, newspaper or a magazine. Once you place ads in those venues, you wait for the phone to ring - that's your involvement. With a Web site, you need to be become familiar with the potential and opportunity which requires you personally be involved in a proactive, consistent, aggressive marketing program or your competitors who do, even if ever so slightly more than you, will get found and you will not. There are many sites fighting for the same top of page visibility on Search Engine sites. Getting that top of page visibility doesn't just happen because one wishes so. You have to make it happen or you won't get found amongst the over 3 Billion Web pages currently online. If you are not actively involved by spending time marketing your site, and/or hiring someone to do so for you, you're off-line.
-
SAVING EXPENSES AT WHAT EXPENSE:
Hey, you own a computer - you can do it all on your own and save expenses, right? Saving in one area will most likely cost in another. You want to do the maintenance of your site by doing it on your own, whether it be you learn the basics or pay for an application to shield the technology from you so you can do it yourself. What are you really saving? You've taken time away from the running of your business for one - you're the expert there. And time spent is time gone. Yes, you've saved on your maintenance expenses. But you've probably lost the support, knowledge and experience offered above and beyond the HTML you perceived as simple or expensive. If you see the value in human collateral only in dollar signs, let's just say you have bigger issues to address than surviving online. Transfer to a less expensive server? What is the uptime, what statistical data is offered, support levels, functionality? Simply cutting expenses just for the sake of doing so without looking at the bigger picture and the ensuing ramifications means you've actually saved nothing at all - you're off-line.
Without the above one cannot expect ROI. One cannot complain they are spending money but not making money if funds are not spent properly and in the right areas. "Off-line" can mean several things. The site owner shuts down the site entirely because it didn't meet their unrealistic or uniformed expectations. Or, you are off-line because folks get there and leave due to shoddy design or broken functionality, or even worse yet, they never find you in the first place.
That's the hard cold facts of having a successful Web site - if you are truly motivated to succeed online you will take heed. Why not review some of the many articles I've written that can give you more hard cold facts so that you can succeed and beat your competitors at this online game of chess? You don't have to like them - just apply them.
About the Author:
Judith Kallos is an authoritative and good-humored Technology Muse who has
played @ www.TheIStudio.com for over a decade. Check out her popular
Software, Programming and Web Design Cheat Sheets @ www.LearnAndThrive.com