When the economy started going south in the spring, we were a little concerned about getting new clients. Surprisingly, we had the best summer we’d ever seen. Why? I’d been telling everyone I could that websites are advertising, and one of the cheapest forms of advertising at that. I guess I was right…
But what about now? Why should a business buy a website, or update an existing website right now? How can Richmond Media better serve our clients? What have we learned over the past six years, and how does it apply to the current economy? I’ll try to answer these questions below.
- Why should a business buy a website, or update an existing website right now? Even with the economy in a slide, websites are still the cheapest form of advertising. A small business needs to use all of the tools at its disposal to stay competitive, and your website will be there long after your newspaper ad hits the recycling bin. The key is to build a smart website. Examine your business, and think about how your website can work for you. What are your business hours? What happens when a potential customer calls when you’re closed for the day? Your website is a 24/7 receptionist. If you’re a restaurant, people will want to see your menu. If you’re a contractor, people will want to see your references and examples of your work. If you’re a retail business, people will want to see your products, and they may still be at work when you close for the day. Customers will want to contact you when your phone isn’t being answered.
- How can Richmond Media better serve our clients? We have taken several steps to help our clients during lean economic times. We’ve lowered prices somewhat. We’ve decided to offer more economical online stores, rather than the more expensive, customizable ones we had in the past. Most importantly though, we’ve encouraged our clients to think about what their website can add to their business. That means no more “Look at me, I’ve got a website!” vanity sites. It means that we’re concentrating on how a website can help your business in a direct and measurable way.
- What have we learned over the past six years, and how does it apply to the current economy? This is the easiest of all to answer. We’ve built well over a hundred websites, in addition to interactive presentations, online training, broadband video and educational catalogs. When money’s tight, experience matters. We follow the advertising trends, and keep up with changes in web design standards. We know which trends to ignore, we know when to advise a client to use their website as a business card and when to go all out for Google hits. We know when to be bold and when to follow the pack, because business strategy matters. I often tell clients that there are no pioneers in business web design, and it’s one of the most important things I’ve learned in a decade of commercial web design. The big difference is that I have learned when a business should be a pioneer, and when they should not.
So those are my thoughts on web strategies in these economic times. Are we the cheapest web design company out there? Not even close. Are we the best value for your advertising dollar? I will suggest that yes, we are.
Doug Dye,
President/Projects
Richmond Media
Try to become a member of the most popular social networking sites like Orkut, MySpace, Face book, Linked In, Academy, etc., and create a profile of your own. By doing this you can extend your network online, get connect with your friends, share things with each other, and promote your company/website to build an online reputation. This is most likely the same as Web 2.0 Participatory Web, which means you, has to show your active participation on a regular basis.
Comment by SEO Experts Varanasi — November 9, 2009 @ 7:53 am |