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If you don’t have a website, why not?

inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
edited June 2007 in Building A Website That Works
I`ve been dormant on these forums for awhile and have spent the time thinking of ideas to help other businesses succeed online.  I`m curious if you don`t have a website, what are the main roadblocks? (besides, say, not needing one)  Is it cost, the bewildering array of possibilities or ... ?
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  • inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
    Yes, I do think that cost is a barrier to entry.  Always glad to hear when someone takes the initiative and goes the DIY path - that`s how I got started years ago.
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  • RichRich administrator Posts: 582 Site Admin
    inkwire,good to have you posting!have either you or CrossCountry checked out our new 11 Steps (link on homepage) yet? i`d like to know what your impressions are for someone seeking that online presence...rich
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  • inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
    Not yet - I did get the email about and was intrigued.  I will try to check it out today.
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  • RichRich administrator Posts: 582 Site Admin
    (linda, the Office Live solution described in the 11 Steps is a free solution at the basic level of functionality, fyi...)
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  • inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
    Right on all counts.  Web sites are often seen as an option, and there`s plenty of people who are willing to make a site for a buck without helping out the customer after the site, and that`s something I hope to change.  Our current clients know they can contact us with whatever questions they may have and we will do our best to answer and guide them.  It`s sad that people do get burned.ROI on investment is another thing too - I bought a car from an honest used car firm with a unique business model and a VERY basic website.  He had no problem getting customers due to his fantastic word of mouth and saw, smartly, no need to spend any more on promotion. 
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  • inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
    Word of mouth has always been one of the best, if not the best form of advertising, no?  I even found that car dealer through a recommendation from a neighbor.
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  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    As a web designer, I understand my client`s (and potential client`s) budgetary constraints. There are both successful and not so successful websites created with the DIY approach.
    Should you DIY? The one question to consider is - what is the best use of your time? Learning and creating a website or planning, marketing, operating my business? It is not an easy choice especially when there is no money in the budget to hire a web designer.
    The choices you make can affect you later on. You may be stuck with a proprietary solution that limits your capabilities. You may even faces higher web design costs later on to "fix" or rework a web site to make it work effectively for your business needs.
    Word of mouth advertising is absolutely great! Today, with the multitude of social networking websites, word of mouth is word of mouse. So, a good website is maybe more important today than in the past.
    Having your site "reviewed" (like here at SUN) can provide some good suggestions for improving a DIY website.
    Roland
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  • inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
    That`s always a good point - what IS the best use of your time?  It is good to evaluate what you do well and what is better being done someone else.Of course, I also like to use this argument to avoid mowing the lawn
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  • inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
    You have some good points.  I am looking for some specific reasons why someone has chosen not to have a website.  Imagining answers isn`t that hard - it`s too complex, it`s too expensive, I don`t think it`s worth it, etc., but it is helpful getting a slightly more in-depth answer from someone who has made the choice.  I`ve got some ideas on how to alleviate some of these concerns and I`m finding this discussion to be helpful.
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  • JSIWCJSIWC subscriber Posts: 0
    if I can add my two cents here.....many people also think that they dont need a website as they dont want to actually `sell` anything online.  I`ve told any & everyone that the website gives you professional presence in the business world...says you`re serious - and even tho most times working from your kitchen table - are equal to the `big boys`.  While our company sells a product for retail - our site was actually not setup for the consumer - out target customer is `the Retailer`. We can direct them to our site which sums up our products, pricing, etc and then our sale is much easier.  The website takes care of `the pitch`. We bought a really inexpensive template that was an absolute breeze to use. We had absolutely NO experience in building websites. We had tried SBC & another really popular one, but they were waaayy over our little heads. We use a free shopping cart and only pay 12.95/mo for hosting that offers unbelievable support. It has brought us WUNderful results and we`ve only been in business 4 months. I`ll say this as well - we snagged a tremendous opportunity with the biggest candy company in the nation - our website really `sold` them as entrepenuers who operate at a level they respect. A SUPER kudo.
    take a look:  www.justsayitwithcake.com</A>JSIWC2007-6-1 12:28:7
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  • inkwireinkwire subscriber Posts: 3
    Your two cents are worth their weight in gold .  One great thing a website does is provide an image and a presence that can compare favorably to other bigger or more established competitors.  That`s quite a boon to all the people running home-based businesses in addition to those just starting out.Another good thing you touched on was the `free shopping cart,` which would probably be an open source application provided by your host.  There`s are many options out there for people but wading through the options can be daunting.
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  • JSIWCJSIWC subscriber Posts: 0
    I`d be happy to share that info to anyone interested. Just ask here. The shopping cart is actually a stand alone that can be added to ANY host site.
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  • kevinzhangkevinzhang subscriber Posts: 6
    Hi, can you give me some seo suggestion for my website: whole perfume bottle.
    thanks
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  • jenidlgjenidlg subscriber Posts: 2
    I am thrilled that this site exists to help with all the little things that come up when starting a business.  I went the coder route and paid someone to create a base site for me.  The problem I am having now is that I want to update and I don`t really know how.  My coder did a great job but I found him through a freelance site and now I can`t find him again. 
    You can see my site at www.supportmyoffice.com</A>.  I really like the site and it could be fine just like it is but I would like to learn to add price specials, rate changes, and the like.  If anyone has suggestions for me, please feel free to share. 
    Again, thank you for all the insight and shared wisdom. 
    Jenifer D.
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  • vwebworldvwebworld subscriber Posts: 40
    I am thrilled that this site exists to help with all the little things that come up when starting a business.  I went the coder route and paid someone to create a base site for me.  The problem I am having now is that I want to update and I don`t really know how.  My coder did a great job but I found him through a freelance site and now I can`t find him again. 
    You can see my site at www.supportmyoffice.com</A>.  I really like the site and it could be fine just like it is but I would like to learn to add price specials, rate changes, and the like.  If anyone has suggestions for me, please feel free to share.   
    Jenifer D.
    Jenifer,
    I hate to tell you this, but your site has one significant problem that affects search results - it uses "frames". I recommend that your site be converted to a non-frames site. It will make your content (and keywords) more visable by search engine "bots".
    There are also no meta descriptions (although by using frames they can`t be seen anyway)
    ~Rolandvwebworld2007-6-7 15:33:47
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