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Awesome thread. I agree with tec0... I've heard a lot of conflicting theories and ideas about websites though. I'm still thinking of doing some kind of emarketing course to brush up on these skills cos I think that things will be in a state of flux for a while as new fads and trends dominate the online space...
If you are thinking of doing some emarketing course I would like to recommend you look at this emarketing course from Quirk. Rob Stokes is one of the few people I truly respect when it comes to Internet Marketing and probably one of the few people in the country I would say has a solid understanding of what it truly is.
Roelof Vermeulen (Entrepreneurship in large organizations)
Roelof Vermeulen| Rock flaps south africa
garthu (12-Aug-10)
Interesting thread. Yep, unfortunately, due to a lack of education/understanding, many businesses out there (especially the small, one-man shows) think that "if you build it, they will come". So they spend a few grand on a site and a domain name and hosting and up goes their three-page brochure site. They check Google and can't find it and their contact us form gets used so seldom that cobwebs start forming in the corners. So they curse the pimply-faced web designer who built it and declare that it's all a waste of time and money. Sure, they may get googled by name and the googler may be able to see the details of what they offer and think that at least they are professional enough to have a website and are therefore worth a phone call. But it really does nothing for them.
Part of the lack of understanding about website ownership is that a website is not a magical sales attraction device that works by casting spells on people using the Interweb. It's actually just a tool and it all depends on how well it is designed and used as to how effective it is. A website without the facilities to be found (SEO), attract attention (constantly added useful information and offers), capture details (forms) and follow up (newsletters and reminders) is like a pile of brochures sitting in the corner of your office - pretty much useless. Websites can be amazingly successful vehicles for promoting businesses if they are properly equipped, promoted and run. Unfortunately this takes hard work and/or money ... and some savvy, savvy?
Well, that's my ten billion Zim dollars' worth, anyway.
tonyflanigan (11-Aug-10)
in time notice for youth
good news for young people surfing online
Hi there
I was browsing through and found this article. What is said is very true, most websites do cost allot of money and don't bring in any traffic. In any business including an internet based one you need to invest money to make money,
However If you’re looking in the right places there are many sites that offer services for free or at a very low cost simply because they aim at attracting larger groups of people either to advertise via their own website or have an automated system which they are playing the number game with.
(lowest price = more customers, more customers = bigger income)
I have noticed a handful of online marketing companies that do this and once I get rolling I'll write a few articles of my own ONCE I've fully checked them out.
My business is also based with online web hosting and design services and because if the exact issue explained in this opening post. I have constructed my business around trying to offer the marketing secrets design companies never research.
Hosting is a big deal too. If you have a decent host that offers all the right features for marketing your website and applications to make your backend easier to operate like CMS's and ad management software.
Regards
The Webmaster
Last edited by Dave A; 13-Oct-10 at 12:34 PM.
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Yip it seems so, just allot more to it though than that :P
I have noticed people seem to think that the more something costs the better the service? Thats another myth. Guess these things is a good idea for a post
Webmaster
Last edited by Dave A; 14-Oct-10 at 11:18 AM.
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Hmm ok, I like a good debate
Let’s use this situation since I recon it’s the only part I honestly know anything about, As a business expert I won’t even bother as I’m sure you have allot more experience than me, and I never assumed that starting term I just used it as an explanation. Websites can be a waste of money! the point still stands ‘you can start a website and have it designed without it costing you too much’. If you don’t market your website it won’t get anywhere.
About Web Hosting & Design
We have two scenarios - There are positive and negatives to both.
A big company offering a set of services, you choose your services and pay as you should. You will deal with someone who “applied for the job” to help you that has a general knowledge of what they were taught and give you advice that is good but is parroted from someone who understands about website hosting, ADSL setup and networking etc. Fair enough. They setup general PHP server sided access etc, charge you per mail address, per gig, per database and pretty much break down every aspect of your business in order to milk every possible penny, Without annoying you too much.
Or you get
A specialist or small group cc. Offering Hosting and Design who offer Hosting and Design, their focus is obviously making money but they need to generate a positive name for themselves simply good business is their marketing, word of mouth. They don’t charge allot and give you similar advice to the big company. The good thing about this is simply your host and design is at the same place and you’re likely to deal with the same person with all your website needs. Adjustments don’t need to be made by getting your web designer to talk to your host or find out if a certain application will work on your hosting server (Just to be informed of some restrictions because your big hosting company employees don’t know of the latest software and applications or how to install them).
Simply my point is, if you’re a web designer you know that when you have a speciality site that needs to be made. Dynamic in its own way and you need to be told by a big hosting company something can’t be done when you know it can! And now you need to tell the client he needs to try something else?
Is it really worth the client paying so much extra to a big hosting company for service when the small guy can offer the same services and more at a much lower price?
Regards
Webmaster
Last edited by Dave A; 15-Oct-10 at 12:31 PM.
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