front page something different? comments? What is the value of your website? march 3, 2003 This is a question I have not spent much time thinking about until now. In a down economy it forces businesses to evaluate where they spend their money. Why bother putting up a website? At first glance it seems rather obvious that it might be useful, but many businesses do not need a website. The corner store, or even the dry cleaner might be able to do without a web presence. If your customers travel less than a couple of blocks it probably will not help the business. So what business needs a website? Any business that serves a population greater than a few block radius is a good first guess. A website is a powerful tool in capturing an audience or customer. A website creates a reason to contact a business- a great website helps build a new business relationship. Which means that a bad website does just the opposite. A good example of this is the wedding photography industry. I am getting married in June and neither my fiancé nor I have tons of time to spend driving around looking at wedding portfolios. The web is a great place to get an initial first introduction without meeting the photographer. Good for us, good for the photographer. Neither of us wastes time. If the website stirs our interest we make contact. If the website lacks appeal, we never see the page again- even after a recommendation. Of the websites I have browsed, I feel like there are a lot of photographers losing business because their website lacks refinement. A couple of years ago this might have been ok. Now it is unacceptable. Many photographers want to charge over $3000 for a half-day event- which in some cases works out to $200 an hour if you include the studio time. As a web designer and a photographer, it tells me that anyone that wants to charge a hefty hourly rate and doesn't consider saving me time by creating a useful, easy to navigate website, really does not have my interests in mind. They might be an exceptional photographer, but there are many others that want my business. My attention needs to be captured quickly with a well planned website. Imagine charging $3000 on one event, but not consider spending even $5000 on a website that will be paid for in a couple of events. $5000 might seem like a lot to individuals running their own business, but if you look at it from a cash flow perspective it is a good investment. A website will continue to work for you even when you are not working. It is an advertisement, secretary, and sales tool all rolled up into one. A poorly designed website is like a bad employee sending customers in the wrong direction. It not only reflects badly on your business, but the customers never buy anything. It is a double whammy. Gone are the days of simply having a website. For a wedding photographer, it could mean losing a good deal of business. In a down economy, nobody can afford to lose deals.