Orangetree THINKING

A Website for a Reason

It is 2011. Or later, if you are not reading this blog immediately! Every business should have a website, I hear you cry. And, of course, as website designers and builders, we have some sympathy with that plan!

But I am not thumping that drum today. I am assuming that you are going to have one, and encouraging you to think about it before a little before you reach for your cheque book.  A little more planning, that is all I ask!

Why do I say this?  Well, I believe that before you spend any money on marketing, or systems, you should stop and understand, fully, why.  Otherwise, whether you are spending a small amount or a large amount, the outcome is unplanned and random. Not good business words, really.

You must understand why you are having your website. You must understand what you want to achieve with it. This will help you to make choices about how much to invest, and what kind of functionality you want. Instead of someone like us persuading you to buy lots of online shiny stuff, let your chosen purpose inform the specification, together, of course, with the reality of your budget.

Make this plan your own. There are so many people talking about website design with the air of an expert, who in reality are not. I want to encourage you rather to be yourself here. Dovetail your choices with the rest of your marketing plan. By all means discuss it with someone. Discuss it with me - I would be happy to do that. But the final choice is yours, and that is important.

Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, share that with your website designer, and engage with them as to how that vision might be served.  A good website company will be very happy to discuss the project with you, and listen to you. That way, you get the specification and costs all set out transparently before anyone is committed to anything.

So I encourage you to get a web presence. Or to refresh the one you have. Of course I do!  But I encourage you also to think about what you are trying to achieve. Do not go for the cheapest because it is cheap, or the most expensive because it is shiny, but the most relevant because it is what you have chosen.

Before becoming a director OrangeTree in 2008, Paul was involved in the commissioning of a number of very significant online projects, and managing the build and deployment of the resulting sites and systems. He believes passionately that at whatever budget you are operating, the best solution for you is the best solution for you!

 

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