Beware Of “Free” Web Site Purveyors
I just received a mailer from Dell with the usual coupon incentives to buy. $300 off this commodity PC, 10% off that hardware system, free company web site… What?
Is a web site in the same category as PC hardware? Apparently to many including Dell this is the case. In fact, I believe one of the major factors 30% of small businesses do not have a web site is due to this errant assumption: to have a web site, one must have IT resources.
Given that a web site is an intricate mix of discovery, technology, strategy, creativity, and usability, I can certainly understand why traditionally organizations would put the web site into the hands of those who could handle the most specific and complicated requirements of the technology: IT.
However, Internet use has grown and best practices have emerged. Standards have matured that now allow flexible systems to be created that implement these best practices without the significant resource costs and negative consequences of the traditional IT led approach. Additionally, looking at a web site as a strategic sales and marketing initiative rather than a tech-focused IT project yields a much greater return on investment.
This is certainly not a stab at IT. I have been involved in IT related work for almost 10 years and believe it is a vital part of an organization’s success. However, with any specialized position, once you are outside your core strengths you are making an expensive investment for mediocre results. I would bet most IT personnel are tired of bickering with sales and marketing over this or that word and would love to focus on the next system integration or upgrade.
If this sounds interesting, you might consider a free interview to see how an Enthusiast Web Solution could help your sales and your IT situation.
