Small Business and Marketing

I really can’t count how many times a potential client has come to me and said “I need a website”. My first question is “Why do you need a website?” It is very surprising how many times the client could not give me a straight answer. They have never taken the time to sit down and ask themselves the following questions. Why do I need a website, what message about my business do I want to convey through my website; who will see my website, and how will they see it? I do a lot of work with small businesses with small budgets, and I often ask them what their marketing goals are?

How will a website help you reach those goals? I am very honest with my clients and I tell them if they only have a $3,000.00 marketing budget maybe you should look at all your options before committing your entire budget to a website. A lot of the time they are caught in the field of dreams “if you build they will come” and that is really not true. Many of my potential clients believe that once they have a website it will automatically produce a return on their investment; and somehow their potential clients will just find it.

The truth about websites is you will not be automatically listed on Google’s first page and if you spend your entire marketing budget on a website you might not reach your marketing goals. A website is important to many businesses but it might not be the most important thing to an upstart business. I often tell clients write down their marketing goals first and we map out how a website will help them reach those goals.

Although my business is web I do want to see small businesses succeed and there are times I tell my clients that I think their marketing dollars might be better served elsewhere.

While having a website is important to all businesses it might not be the first thing a start-up business will need. If you are working with a limited budget it is very important that you clearly outline your marketing goals to get the most bang for your buck. Sometimes a website might not be the first thing your business needs and your money might be better spent in other areas to get your business off the ground.