In the first part of this series, I talked in depth about usability and putting your customers first when thinking about your online marketing efforts. In Part 2, I’ll explain the second question you should ask yourself – “Is the time needed to develop, implement and maintain the feature justifiable?”
There are a lot of whiz-bang features and improvements you could make. But if you don’t have the capital to even start it, even if it’s going to make you a million dollars you might need to scrap the idea and try something else.
Here are a few of the more common requests we get from our clients:
We can manage it ourselves!
Content Management Systems for websites are all the rage right now because you don’t need to call your website company for every tiny update saving you “oodles of cash!”
This is actually a really great option for most businesses, but before you jump on the bandwagon you should ask yourself honestly,
- CAN and WILL I manage my own site?
- Do I have the staff available who at least have the technical expertise to use Microsoft Word?
- Do they have time to learn how to use the Content Management System?
- Do they have time to maintain the site at least once a week?
If you and your staff are treading water just doing the day-to-day business operations as it is or don’t have much more computer expertise other than how to check email and surf the web, consider investing in hiring a Web company to manage your site. Just like you pay an auto mechanic for their time and expertise to fix your car so you don’t have to spend weeks (it would take me years) fixing and maintaining your car, sometimes it’s better to pay for the service.
Luckily, most businesses WILL benefit from having a content managed website because they usually can find enough time and staff to squeeze out at least the required updates (changes to the menu, hours of operation, updates or news about the company, etc.), and content managed systems are getting more and more user friendly. However, don’t be afraid to admit your staffing or technological deficiencies and call on an expert when needed.
We can sell stuff online!
E-commerce is great if you have products to sell, but if you don’t check your email regularly and miss orders from people, you may be doing more harm to your reputation than good. Unlike a brick-and-mortar establishment, your online store is open 24-7, and online customers will expect fast service and support.
If you have physical products that need to be shipped out, you’ll also need to make sure you have the staff and resources to do so and that they can operate the online system. Are your existing systems and workflows flexible enough to be modified as necessary to accommodate a new online ordering system?
Can you afford an e-commerce system that will work for you vs. trying to change your systems to fit theirs? Even eBay has fees you need to pay for using their system, and some specialized e-commerce systems can cost several thousands of dollars before you even make one cent in profit from them.
E-commerce looks very easy from the outside because it’s made to flow smoothly for the customer making the transaction. Just be aware that under the hood things are a little more complex and may require some adjustments on your part to make it successful.
F-R-E-E* STUFF!
There’s a lot of free stuff out there:
Social Media Accounts
You’ve probably been asked more than a few times now – does your business have a Facebook page? Do you Tweet? Oh, you’ve GOT to sign up for this account and that account because it’s all just FREE advertising!
I cringe every time I hear this, because yeah, if you want to just start playing around on some social networks in your spare time, sure, it’s free and somewhat entertaining. But if you’ve used Twitter, Facebook, or any of the other thousands of social networks, you know exactly how much of a time-sucking vortex they really are. Throwing your business into the mix can turn it into a black-hole of reverse-productivity if you’re unable to manage it correctly.
Just like managing your own website, managing your social media accounts takes time and knowledge of the systems in order to be successful. Not only that, but social media is less forgiving than your website in that you can never let it stagnate; social media only works if you’re sociable. Therefore, not every business needs a Twitter account, and not every business needs to get into social media.
Blogs
You can get your own free blog at wordpress.com or blogger.com or your website may have a blogging option. But should you write a blog? Blogs aren’t quite as time-sensitive as other social media, but they do need to be updated regularly. Also, free isn’t always free – some free blog sites put ad banners on your page or restrict your design and layout options.
If you already have a website, it might be better to incorporate your blog into your site for branding purposes – if your blog is on another site, people may be confused as to whether it’s supposed to be associated with your business or not. Blogs, when maintained correctly, are great for SEO and for positioning yourself as an expert in your market. Consider investing the time and energy into one if you can.
Websites
Yes, you can even get your own free website. Like a free blog, it may be plastered with advertisements from other companies, possibly competitors, and limit your options for what kind of design or layout you want. But you could get one. Even more than just maintaining your website though, creating your own site can cause hours, days, weeks, even months of frustration and misery when you don’t have a clue about how to start.
So, should you setup a free website? I like to tell people to go ahead and try it – because either they’ll be happy with it, or they’ll realize that they need some help with it. Either way, they’ll gain an appreciation for what I do all day.
Digging through everything to find out where you’ll be spending your time and money does take some effort and well, time. However, it’s better in the long run to figure out exactly what you’re getting yourself into instead of finding out after you’re committed to a project that it’s going to take a lot more out of you than you ever imagined.
In part 3 of this series, I’ll go into the third question you should ask yourself before making plans to update or start your online marketing efforts, which could help keep you out of any legal trouble.