Imagine you want to buy a boat. You discover through a friend that a pier by a local lake has several options available, so you decide to go. As you stroll along the pier you see a man standing in front of the picture of a yacht. As you talk to the man, he describes a yacht he has for sale that offers the newest innovative technology, a swimming pool, wet bar, and about every amenity you could ever want. You know you can't afford the yacht, but our of curiosity you ask the price.

The response is two million dollars.

Now you know there's no way you can afford it, but you figure you might as well tour the yacht to get an idea of what the "top of the line" looks like, so you ask him for a tour. The man pulls off his hat, scratches his head and says, "there's a little problem with that."

He then begins to explain the yacht is somewhere in the Atlantic. It turns out it drifted out to sea and the tracking program is disabled. But he assures you the yacht is just as he described it as he proceeds to pull out his smartphone and show videos of him and his family vacationing on the boat, pointing out every intricate detail.

So now morbid curiosity is stirring inside like a kettle getting ready to boil.

"Do you mean you are trying to sell me a boat no one can find?"

"Yeah, but you don't understand, this yacht is priced at 15 million dollars. If you find it, you will have one of the most cutting-edge yachts in the market today. Imagine how impressed your friends will be when they see it. Imagine your family in the pool, or if you are in business, imagine taking prospects on a cruise to help acquire their business. The possibilities are limitless!"

You can't believe the audacity. He actually thinks he can sell you a boat lost in the Atlantic, so you try to excuse yourself and see what other options are available on the pier. As you walk off, the man grabs your arm and offers you the boat for 1 million, then 500k, then 250k, and gets all the way down to one dollar.

The Point

In the world of website development, this happens everyday. Businesses are being a sold a website that is lost on the internet. It can have all the right technology, photos, verbiage, and bells & whistles, but if it doesn't contribute to your business's ROI, it simply doesn't matter how impressive it is, regardless if the site costs $100 or $100,000.

Your business needs a strategic plan before the first design is created, the first bit of technology is etched digitally on a computer, or the first bit of content is collected. The plan will drive everything.

This can only be determined by hiring a website development solution that understands marketing, design, and implementation. He needs to understand your business needs. Without a proper plan, you website is destined for failure.

What you need to do:

1) Meet with your team and determine your goals for your website. (Organically ranked at Google, Google Maps, Social Media integration, Sponsored listings, verticals, etc.)

2) Consider your target audience (your typical customer/client)

3) Create a list of your products goods/services and what you would like to be able to handle in-house (loading products, changing text, etc. - This will avoid costly maintenance)

4) Consider how you want your goods/services to be presented online.

5) Hire a company/freelancer that understands marketing and design. Look for certified providers. Adobe and SEMPO certifications are only attained by professionals. (Its the difference between getting your neighbor to work on your car or having a certified mechanic.) Having a history of working with other companies in the marketing arena is also a good idea.

6) Get involved. Don't just turn it over to a designer. Give your developer access to you or/and your team as a reference.

7) Test the website out throughout development. Make sure it meets your goals and is easy to understand.

8) Understand, this is a long-term commitment with residual costs. Your website will need to be worked on and modified monthly.

Sounds Expensive

Well this is a loaded point. In marketing, there is a subconscious thought that the more expensive something costs, the better it is. In the web world, it could mean you are just the most gullible. Design firms are not always the right way to go. They usually have a great "front men" but the actual work is accomplished by unqualified personnel. Freelancers with no experience habitually charge thousands and thousands more than what should be charged, just because they can.

Three of the Dumbest Moves Ever Made

If you want to be the equivalent of one the clumsy, victims immortalized in a poster as Michael Jordan gracefully dunked over them, do the following:

1) Buy a precanned solution like Intuit's solution (just what you need - to look like everybody else)

2) Buy a cheap website to "see if it works" before committing more money

3) Hire overseas developers (if you do this, just remember the "Three T's" - Timezone, Timeline, and Total unawareness of what it takes to compete in the US).

Like a good football team's offense is base on the quality of a quarterback, your website's effectiveness is based on the ability of your website developer. Make a wise choice and your investment will equal long-term ROI. Choose the wrong path and you will join the businesses I meet everyday looking to "redo" their website because what they have isn't working.


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Ken Carroll is an accomplished writer, internet marketing professional, and website developer located in Western North Carolina. He maintains certifications with Adobe, SEMPO, USM, and regularly teaches small business on how create a proper online presence. His business, http://www.IntegrisDesign.com, offers turn-key solutions for sincere businesses of all sizes.