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Mar152010

3 things most business owners think they know about e-commerce… and why those myths can cost you money

Posted by Gene in Business

Online business is a hot topic. It has been for more than 10 years, and I can’t see that trend dropping off anytime soon. In most cases, that’s a good thing; the more business owners know about finding new customers on the Internet, the healthier their bottom lines are going to look.

The problem with this, though, is that e-commerce is a bit like professional sports — you have a few professionals, a handful of serious fans, and a whole lot of opinions that don’t always make sense. But while there’s no harm in chatting up your team’s chances with a few of your friends, having the wrong ideas about online marketing can spell disaster for your business.

Here are three things lots of business owners think they know about e-commerce, and how to keep those myths from costing you big money:

Flashier is always better. The latest and greatest are so-called for a reason; having cutting-edge animation, vibrant music, or a brand-new content management system on your website can all be great things. But go too far, and they can also cost you business.

When designing a new site, a question that should come up frequently is this: that’s cool, but what will it help me do? You might want people who visit your site to buy, ask for more information, or maybe just be more informed. Anything that helps them do those is useful; anything that doesn’t is just in the way.

It’s worked before, so there’s no reason to change now. Alternatively, we frequently see businesses with sites that look like they were designed a decade ago — the equivalent of decorating your office or showroom with a 50’s style decor.

Just because your company’s website shows all of your main information, or even generates a few leads and sales here and there, doesn’t mean it couldn’t be improved. For many businesses, the homepage is a prospective customer’s first stop. You want them to see something that creates a strong, positive impression. And at the same time, most older sites aren’t bringing the kind of traffic, or sales, that they could if they were brought up to date here.

It’s all about the sales. Before I start on this one, let me clarify: for some companies, it really is all about the sales. For every dollar spent on search engine marketing or online advertising, they need to gain so many more in online revenue for the campaign to make any sense.

For the majority of small businesses, however, there are several other pieces to the puzzle. That’s because a good site doesn’t just generate orders — in fact, lots of the best performing websites don’t even have shopping carts or payment processing. Your site might be designed to answer questions, generate leads, show off your expertise, or fulfill any one of a dozen other functions. Those are all valuable, so long as they contribute to your business goals.

Keep these ideas in mind the next time you’re talking small business websites with your friends and colleagues. When it comes to online business, everybody has an opinion, but it’s finding profits that counts.

This article was originally written for and published on Midlandsbiz.com

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Mar012010

Is a New Website a Good Investment in This Economy?

Posted by Gene in Business

With all the ups and downs the economy has been throwing at us lately, many of my clients are asking themselves the same question: is this really the right time to have my website designed or upgraded?

I suspect the answer you find to that question will have a lot to do with your profitability for the next 12 months. That’s because, like a new employee or an improved piece of equipment, a good website shouldn’t cost you anything — it should earn money by improving your marketing and productivity.

A modern, functional, professional-looking website is one of the most valuable investments you can ever make. It’s like having your best salesperson, your strongest client letter, shiniest storefront space, and most courteous customer service professional all wrapped into one — not to mention working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for customers and prospects all over the world.

If it sounds like I’m a bit overzealous in my assessment, consider this: how many new customers can any single person bring in per week? Can they reach potential buyers at the exact moment that they are thinking about your product and service? What about answering your twenty frequently most asked questions instantly, or sending routine orders straight to your inbox without requiring you to copy down payment information? These are just a few of the things a good website can do for you, day in and day out.

With that in mind, the question isn’t really whether a new site is a good expense, but what kind of design or upgrade you should be looking at. The perfect website — one that looks good, does everything you want it to, and helps you meet your business goals — doesn’t happen by accident. It’s nearly always the result of careful planning and collaboration between the client and a dedicated design team.

To get your money’s worth, and use your online presence to actually grow your business in a tough economy, do a bit of planning before you fork over your deposit check. Think carefully about what types of products and customers you’re doing well with at the moment, as well as which aspects of your business you’d like to emphasize going forward. Don’t worry so much about the specific features (like video, flash animation, blogs, etc.) that you’ll want to incorporate for the moment — your design team can help you figure out which options make the most sense. The one thing they can’t do is tell you what your company needs in the first place.

There’s never a bad time to put one of your most powerful marketing tools to work, and a new website could be a driving force that helps you gain ground during the current slump. But to make it worth your time and money, you’re going to have to plan ahead and see your new design for what it is: a chance to boost your bottom line in any economy.

This article was originally published on MidlandsBiz.

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