A
great web begins with planning. We'll be taking you through
a series of steps to determine exactly what type of web
you need, and then give you some idea of what kind of
an investment you can anticipate.
But first, let's talk a little
bit about why webs are built.
- To save money on printing and
postage
- To provide a customer with an
immediate source of information about your product or
service
- To attract new customers from
unexpected sources
- To expand the "floorspace"
of your business and sell to customers far removed from
your physical "brick and mortar" location
- And let's not forget: ego! Its
nice to see your name up in lights
Much as we'd like to help you build
a website, there is one thing you should think about,
seriously, before you make the leap to online. One simple
question: How comfortable are you with email? People who
come to your website come because they're interested in
what you're selling or what you have to say, and they'll
expect that if they contact you asking for further information,
or because they're ready to close the sale, you will respond
back promptly, clearly, and politely.
What does this mean, exactly? It
means you must answer your email at an absolute
minimum of once a day. Even when you're on vacation, unless
you post such a notice to your site. It means you'll need
to write clearly and in complete sentences. No cryptic
abbreviations or keyboard saving shortcuts. And it means
ignoring the fact that some of your potential customers
will write their email as if they'd never seen the inside
of a grade school. Do not let a lack of fluency color
your judgment of a potential customer, but treat everyone
politely. That individual who can't seem to find the shift
key, so they write with no capitols, and can't seem to
find the punctuation keys either, may have had secretaries
handling all his correspondence lo these many years. Just
because he can't type doesn't mean he's not flush with
cash and eager to throw some of it your way.