CEA Marketing Group

So, even in a down market, I’ve been getting a lot of bites on websites.

“I need my website updated; I need a new website created.”

It’s been very exciting!!!! Plus, then you add social media in to the mix, and there is a flurry of other opportunities. I completely agree, that a good website is extremely important to have these days. A bad website can do a lot of damage; it definitely needs to be professional, and it needs to be a decent representation of your business. And, we all know people are tied to the web – Duhh. But, before you spend thousands or even hundreds of dollars on a redesign, or a spankin’ new site, make sure that it is critical to your sales process or your company’s growth. Does your website really play an integral part in landing new business or some other vital function to keep your business moving forward? Is there a huge missed opportunity because you don’t have a good website? Does your current website hurt you – turn business away? Does your site capture valuable leads that sales staff can work?

There are a ton of ways a website can be a big benefit, helping to bring in additional dollars, but if all it is is a glorified brochure, than you probably don’t need to be investing in a web revamp right now! If you have a basic site that does what it needs to do, even if looks a little 90′s or even 80′s, just make sure it’s worth the investment – not just a cosmetic make-over but an upgrade with substance. Also, if you don’t have enough bucks to extend beyond the redesign into marketing, you may want to rethink your decision to beef up or build the site. You can have the most gorgeous, interactive, engaging website in the world, but if you don’t drive anyone to it, or if it’s not built to good search engine standards, than fooey. What’s the point? IT’S NOT, IF WE BUILD IT, PEOPLE WILL COME process; you must show people the way.

Because a website can be a big undertaking, all I am saying is make sure it’s worthwhile – how do you know if it’s worthwhile – ask yourself, will it make you money? And that doesn’t mean just e-commerce. That can mean, with CEA for example, does this site accurately convey our capability as an agnecy, does it showcase our fine work, does it show our personality, expertise and company culture well enough that someone would e-mail us or call us? For an agency, these things are extremely important. Our website is a porfolio piece, and if our site wasn’t up to par, it could seriously injure us by giving the wrong impression. So the legitamacy thing, the need to impress thing, the collecting contact info thing – all vital to our business. We also market it online and in traditional advertising as well. Our website’s analytics system helps us better understand if our ads our working. That’s why we invest in our website; because it’s vital to our way of life. But to just have a beautiful trophy in the closet where no one ever sees it, well, than it becomes just another piece of not-so-important junk.