Website on a Budget
A little research and asking the right questions can make all the difference. By Kimberly Oxley A little more than a decade ago, as the Internet began to gain legitimate traction and whisperings of a “digital age” started to circulate, companies, from one-person shops to the Fortune 500, began to consider how they would compete in the digital arena. Like wildfire, Web sites began to populate the World Wide Web. Soon, Web developers appeared in prolific numbers and the race was on to dominate the Internet. Flash forward to the present, and companies large and small have migrated past the question, “Should I have a Web site,” to such questions as, “How do I build a Web site?,” “What should I expect from a Web site?” and, for smaller companies, the most important question, “How do I afford a Web site?” Research Provides Empowerment In small business, where the margin for error is tiny and anxiety can be enormous, some people think that if something can’t be done well, it should be left alone until capabilities improve. While the driving idea remains that a Web site should serve to compliment the business, rather than detract from it, gone are the days where “doing it right” means spending a small fortune. Where once it was necessary to hire a developer and have a Web site custom built and hand coded (i.e., built from scratch), the rapid evolution of technology and new solutions have made it easier than ever for small business owners to get started. But before embarking on building a new Web site, carry out these two very important tasks: 1) Understand the array of available options, and 2) Choose the right developer. Before meeting with a potential Web developer, forward-looking owners will begin investigating their available Web site options, such as pre-built templates. Pre-built templates are fantastic solutions for businesses that need to maintain a more informative, static presence and don’t require much updating. For the company that needs a more dynamic, but easy to update site, pre-constructed content management systems (CMS) are more robust and outstanding economical solutions. Both of these options function as well, or even better, than hand-coded sites and deliver dramatic savings. By understanding these cost-saving solutions when selecting a developer, small business owners can parlay this information into the right questions to ask, such as: * Do you offer solutions that incorporate pre-built templates and pre-built content management systems? * Do you offer small business solution packages? * What are some of the aspects of my Web site I could manage myself? In some circumstances, particular business models will ultimately be better served with a custom built site. In that case, small business owners should be certain that their site is going to function as another employee for the business. In short, the dollars put against this investment should be well-spent. No business owner can afford to hire an employee to simply occupy an office chair all day. The same expectation should be applied to a Web site, where money has been heavily invested. Make sure your Web site will work on your behalf by engaging customers and bringing in business. Getting Started Much as with any other category of small business development, often the most critical task is to simply pick a place to begin with a Web site’s construction and just get started. Shortened attention spans and a need for immediate gratification drive customer decision-making every day. Indecision, or the conviction that a Web site just can’t be afforded, should never cause a business to miss out on its rightful share of the market. Kimberly Oxley, founder and president of Design Expressions, has been delivering effective Web site solutions for the local and national small business communities for nearly a decade. Oxley’s mission, to become a company’s trusted, long-term digital partner, is realized through her standing relationship with clients she has continued serving since the inception of her company. (913) 221-5428 //
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