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Thread: Your website is a waste of money!

  1. #11
    Email problem derekjay's Avatar
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    I think the mistake that so many small businesses make when designing their website is to think that its supposed to be an "online brochure". Yes, you need to have informative content on your site, but the key question must be asked:

    What is the main purpose of the site?

    - Is it to create sales leads?
    - Is it to sell products directly?
    - Is it to generate brand awareness?

    Whatever you decide, that needs to remain the focus throughout the design process. Dont create an excessively informational online brochure if your main goal is to capture leads. That kind of thing.

    Basic marketing rules need to be kept in mind when designing (or conceptualizing) your website - or else it certainly is just going to be a waste of money. This is exactly the same as investing in any marketing medium.
    Last edited by Dave A; 21-May-10 at 06:56 AM. Reason: spelling error

  2. #12
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    ok.....

    as for web designers......

    i don't consider myself one. i just build websites.

    BUT....

    the business owner comes to me because he or she knows NOTHING.

    if he or she knew anything about internet marketing, my services would probably not be needed.

    if you build a car, it has to work.

    if you build a fridge, it has to work

    if you cook food, it has to be edible.

    so if you build a website, it has to work.

    if not, you are simply an artist - creating objects of beauty.

    if you build a website and nobody visits it, you have not delivered on the client's expectations.

    what you CAN do is to do some keyword research, and tell the client what competition the site will be up against, and to use some long tail keywords to slip in underneath the radar.

    but if it is not going to work, then WHY THE HELL BUILD IT ?

    because then it IS a waste of money.

    just my brutally honest 0.02c

  3. #13
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    Things that work

    if not, you are simply an artist - creating objects of beauty.

    Or most likely an artisan wannabe creating things from "blou draad & bubblegum"

  4. #14
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    DerekJay said:

    I think the mistake that so many small businesses make when designing their website is to think that its supposed to be an "online brochure".

    No necessarily. As I said in my earlier post - a website that wants to actively attract new clients takes a lot of time, effort and cost. But that does not mean to say that business owners that don't want to invest the time, effort and cost shouldn't have a website. For these people an "online brochure" type web presence (to put on letterheads & biz cards etc.) is still viable as the costs can be very low (and probably more than covered by the savings of the print cost for paper brochures)

    I think the key is, as you rightly say:
    "Whatever you decide, that needs to remain the focus throughout the design process."
    Last edited by Dave A; 02-Jun-10 at 08:55 PM.

  5. #15
    Email problem orpaspar's Avatar
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    A website is just one part of a greater whole ...

    Great discussion going on here ...

    One thing I wanted to bring up is that IMO websites are definitely a necessity for businesses - even simple, three page online brochures. More and more people are googling businesses they hear about or read about or are thinking about doing business with and then making up their minds from what they see online. In these cases, a small, brochure-type website is better than nothing. Sure, these sites won't feature anywhere in the top million results in a Google organic search, but with social media, forums and good ol' fashioned networking, keywords and SEO are not as important as many make them out to be (or perhaps as they used to be). The website is just one part of the business person's marketing arsenal, along with their business card, brochures and the company's advertising. Any website can be effective if used as a part of the whole. Obviously, a well-designed, slick website will create a more positive impression of the company than a dull and dated design will. But a lot of the time, the bells and whistles thrown into a site are superfluous and done more for the designer's portfolio than to satisfy the needs of the client (again, my opinion). However, not having a website is becoming a serious no-no.

    But wait, there's more ...

    I also agree with a previous poster who said that building a website and expecting it to just bring in clients "out of the box" is naive. That's like printing a whole lot of brochures (good or bad) and then stacking them in your office and hoping to get sales. You have to get the brochures out there. You have to hand them out. Likewise, you have to get your website's name out there. A website is an unbeatable way to dispense information about and to create an impression of, a company and what it does. But you have to tell people about it at every opportunity. Your website address should be on your business card, letterhead, brochure, at the bottom of every email ... everywhere you can think to put it.

    Okay. Done.

  6. #16
    Email problem tonyflanigan's Avatar
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    interesting thread...

    we have most of our little 3 or 4 page clients sites performing very lekker on Uncle google. Without using the business' name in the search term nogal.
    I'm one of the T's from TnT Unleashed Web design, photography and writing services
    http://www.1pic4twenty.co.za

  7. #17
    Email problem tonyflanigan's Avatar
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    @ peter. just a suggestion, unsubscribe from facilities that forces the browser window to re-size. Aweber is notorious for that...
    I'm one of the T's from TnT Unleashed Web design, photography and writing services
    http://www.1pic4twenty.co.za

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    @tonyflanigan, nou ou broer, your website is totally inconsistent. When I go to "Blog" the look and feel is totally different. "Services & Prices" is the same as the main website, but "About Us" is part of the "Blog" look. "Sitemap" is on its own mission. "Galleries & Portfolio" sits low down in the left hand corner of my 25" screen. "Privacy Policy" is ok.

    Ah, I see what is happening, the main site is pure HTML and the "Blog" & "About Us" is Wordpress that lives in the Wordpress directory.

    Nou broer, I find it a little troublesome that a web designers own site has so many kokkeroaches...

  9. #19
    Email problem tonyflanigan's Avatar
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    i had a visitor to my website!

    hm. Thanks Adrian, a little constructive criticism from someone who is qualified is always welcome.
    I'm one of the T's from TnT Unleashed Web design, photography and writing services
    http://www.1pic4twenty.co.za

  10. #20
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    Aye well, I think it better that I point these things out than your customers. I can assure you, my products and websites have their fair share of kokkeroaches.

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