Your Website Should Be An Investment NOT An Expense

Too many people think of their website as an expense instead of an investment because they don’t understand the important role it plays in their marketing program. In this article we will show how a site can be an investment or an expense and how to make sure it’s working for you in the most effective way possible.

Webster’s dictionary defines an expense as a “financial burden or outlay.” The word itself carries a negative connotation, and it’s common for whoever writes the check to look at any advertising in this way. An investment, on the other hand, is defined as “the outlay of money usually for income or profit.” In other words, you spend money to get a return on your investment (ROI).

Your website is the single most important weapon in your marketing arsenal and for that reason you must think of it as an investment NOT an expense. For the majority of your potential customers it is the first impression they will have of your company. Based on that impression you will either have the chance to earn their business or you won’t. If your website doesn’t stand out and inspire confidence in your prospective customers then they probably won’t take the next step.

Because your company website plays such a vital role in your success its construction should be handled by a professional. Many disciplines come into play, including graphic design and color theory, programming, usability and copywriting, just to name a few. Your chosen vendor should possess these skills and be able to combine them to produce an outstanding finished product of the highest possible quality. Such a website will serve both your organization and its customers well.

Choosing a vendor for your website development just because they are “cheap” is a poor business decision. Cheap websites are inexpensive for a reason… They are not designed to last or represent your company professionally over time. They will get poor results because they won’t be attractive or easy to use.

A professionally built website is an investment that will yield an ROI which far surpasses its cost. A poorly built website, on the other hand, is an expense that will harm your business and professional reputation. So now that we have established that your website should be an
investment and not an expense it’s time to explain what makes it one or
the other.

INVESTMENT: Professional Website

EXPENSE: Amateur Website

Attractive layout that balances text with high quality photographs and/or artwork
Intuitive navigation and design which makes it easy to find what you’re looking for
Functionality works as expected, problem-free
Displays properly in all of the most popular modern web browsers
Useful content and features add value to the visitor and save time
Matches and reinforces corporate branding to strengthen consumer confidence and loyalty to your organization
Obvious and easy-to-find contact information makes customers feel confident and empowered
A complete, finished product that represents your company effectively

Ugly look-and-feel that’s cluttered and too busy with clip art and poor use of white space
Confusing navigation system and poor organization frustrates visitors
Dysfunctional, full of bugs and broken links
Not cross-browser compatible, it requires use of a specific program
No useful content or features give visitors any incentive to stay
No discernible association with your corporate branding leaves visitors confused, skeptical and unsure if they have visited the right site
Non-existent or hard-to-find contact information causes customer inconvenience and frustration
“Under Construction” page — worse than not even having a website

If your site falls in the wrong column or you don’t even have one then contact us today and let us help you get on the right track.