Small Business Web Development Gap
I have been mulling this post over for a considerable amount of time. If you have not read Seth Godin’s post ”How to create a great website” you really should take a look. He outlines 10 points to creating a great website. I agree with the points, but ever since I read the post there has been something in the back of my mind that just did not sit right with it. Let me try to explain.
Many of the businesses I create websites for are small businesses. Not large corporations, but businesses with usually less than 10 employees. They want a website because they know that in order to help with their marketing they need to be found on the Internet. They don’t have someone in their organization and they are not about to hire someone full time, to sit and blog, update and do all of the day to day tasks that would be needed to create the next killer website. These people are busy running and doing business not making websites.
Seth Godin’s list is great, but is it practical for small businesses that are busy doing business? Is the alternative that they should just not be on the web? I think I will have to let this percolate some more.
Comments
Rhett
I think small businesses should hire someone like me to manage their website for them. If they provide me with a bit of content or different news then I would be happy to blog and write full content (or even the design). That's what I do for www.306productions.com or even my volunteering with www.christmasfuture.org. I am a rockstar and I do a great job.
LGR
I thought you were a diva?Thinking about it more I guess it depends how serious the business takes their online presence. Some businesses just want the brochure website and that is fine. Others want the killer sites.
Dan Auito
If you show them why they need a website and how it can help them, then the job gets much easier. We use our website to encourage them to have an online presence then we proceed to build them banners and so forth which lead to further information pages, sometimes full on websites. Here is a website I just finished in which we are selling duplicate out of the box copies which allow other to market and advertise locally in their areas: http://www.CitrusCountyClassifieds.com Here is a little more info if you find you may be interested in a site like this: Running your own website: http://www.thecitruscountyclassifieds.com/downloads/owner-prop.doc Initial contract: http://www.thecitruscountyclassifieds.com/downloads/license.doc Dan:~)