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Perhaps a better question would be: can I afford NOT to have a web site?
Let’s face it, your competition is probably already on-line. You need to use every tool available just to keep up. So look at your web site as an investment in your company's future. Besides, the internet isn't going away... might as well make it work for you and your small business.
Web Sites Are Marketing Tools
Think of your web site as your new marketing tool which - when applied correctly - will generate a return on investment. So whatever time or money you currently spend on marketing, supplementing it with a web site is probably a good idea. Your site will help your small business expand geographically and compete on a much larger scale.
Web Sites Don’t Have To Be Expensive
Admittedly, some web sites are expensive, but yours may not have to be.
First, take a look at your business and decide what type of site will work best for you. There are two general types.
On-line Brochure: as its name suggests, this type of site is an advertisement. Its goal is to entice prospects to visit your location, call or e-mail you for more information. Online brochures are the least expensive to develop and to maintain.
E-commerce: this type of site is like an online catalog that allows users to purchase items right on the internet. E-commerce sites are more expensive than on-line brochures because they require more technology and security issues. The most expensive part of an E-commerce site is opening a merchant account, but if your business already accepts credit cards, you may not have to open another one for your web site.
Second, consider your customers and their expectations.
Are they looking for a no-frills site that makes it easy to find a product, buy it and move on? Or are they looking to be wooed with fancy graphics and interactive design elements? Do they need to be educated or do they already know what they need and why? Do people shop around to get the best price or are you offering something unique that they can’t find it anywhere else? Technically speaking, how sophisticated are they? Will they mind downloading new software to view a fancy thing-a-ma-jig or will that turn them off? All of these factors play a role in determining your online investment.
Yeah, But I Still Don’t Know What To Expect to Pay
Let’s break it down.
You’ll pay a one-time design and development fee. These fees vary widely with most designers charging $30-$100/hour. Of course, the best way to find out what a designer charges is to ask. You can find a designer in search engines, the phone book, or by asking around.
There are other fees (some recurring) to keep the site running (a good designer will manage all of these for you):
Domain Registration: The domain is your web address (www.yourcompany.com) which is charged yearly and runs about $25/year.
Hosting Fee: Your site needs to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you’ll need to rent space on a host computer (server). Depending on your site’s functionality and security level, hosting will run $10-$120/month.
Merchant Account Fees: If you accept on-line payment and don’t already have a merchant account, you’ll pay a minimum of $50/month for it.
Site Maintenance: Again, fees vary widely and are generally performed by your site designer.
There are other optional services like search engine submissions and marketing that will add to your investment but they tend to be relatively low and usually generate enough traffic to make them worth your while.
Yikes! That Seems Like a Lot… How can I keep my fees as low as possible?
You’re right, that seems like a lot. But it’s manageable and necessary. There are a few things you can do to keep the expenses down.
Try a Do-It-Yourself Online Web Site Builder
Design your site yourself using an on-line site builder or purchase design software.
Online site builders have a very short learning curve and are pretty flexible allowing for a great deal of customization. Most offer lots of features - including E-commerce - and are free to set up and use. You only pay for hosting (which you’d pay for anyway). The SiteBuilderResource web site ( http://www.sitebuilderresource.com) reviews and compares different do-it-yourself site builders. With all the different solutions on the market today you’re sure to find something that will work for you if you, assuming of course, that you don’t mind investing a little time. Try a Web Design Program
Design software suites tend to be more complicated than online site builders, but they offer more flexibility. If you get in over your head you can always call on a professional to take care of some of the more technical details. Microsoft’s FrontPage is probably the most user-friendly of the software options on the market today.
Be Prepared
If you hire a designer, use that person’s time efficiently. Remember, they charge by the hour. Before you meet with the designer, think about your needs and your customers’ expectations. Have a clear idea of what your site will offer the user. Write some text or gather other sales materials to get ideas about what your site will say and how it will be said. Also, gather graphics, like your logo and product pictures, and have them ready when your designer needs them.
So…
Can you afford a web site? Given the competition and current market trends you can’t afford NOT to. But like anything else in your business, knowing what to expect will help you plan and manage your investment to your greatest advantage.
copyright 2005
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Greg Owen-Boger is the President of OwenProCo, Inc., a Chicago-based web development company that specializes in helping entrepreneurs gain an online presence.
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