GETTING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING BACK ON TRACK (PART 2)

Welcome back. In part 1 (here’s the link), I talked about what social media is, and the importance of communication. People have tended to lose sight of the “social” in “social media”.

There are dozens of social media platforms out there. From micro-blogging sites such as twitter to connect-with-everyone-you-ever-knew sites such as Facebook to social bookmarking sites such as Digg or Reddit, there’s something for everyone. Blog are also social media applications, as are message boards, chat rooms and even comment section of news, sports and other sites.

But back to you. Where is your time going to be spent? As I mentioned in the last post, there’s no silver bullet. Social media is going to take resources (time, effort, money etc) of some kind. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to pay someone to do it for you, great, otherwise it’s all you, and your time is precious.

Pick a platform to look at.

Take Twitter for example. You can tweet to your “peeps” all day long. It’s easy to connect to “follow” and, quite often, it’s easy to get followers. Trouble is, what kind of followers are they, and are they just following you to get their own numbers up? My person opinion is that Twitter is great if you’ve got something that a lot of people want to know about. I hate to be the one to say it, but there’s a good chance you’re not a professional athlete, movie star or other celebrity – if you are, please send me an email If you’re going to consider Twitter, I urge you to ask yourself how you plan on using it. As with much in our celebrity-obsessed world, there are a few news makers and most of the rest of us listen. Sometimes a tweet can lead to a sudden rush of followers, just don’t bet the farm on it.

Look at the people you’re trying to connect with. What are they going to be using? Perhaps it’s Twitter after all, but then you should ask, what they’re using it for.

The same goes for Facebook to some degree, although I think the evolution of Facebook pages is changing that paradigm dramatically. If you plan on using, or already are using Facebook for business, please have a Facebook page set up for that reason. A Facebook page is much like your Facebook wall, except you have a lot more control over what goes on it, and you can keep your personal and professional lives separate (Separation of Church and State).

Sites such as LinkedIn are also growing in popularity, especially in the business-to-business realm.

So, pick an audience, and pick a couple of platforms. There’s a great Wikipedia page (here’s the link) on some of the different social media sites out there.

In the next section, we’ll look at finding the right audience to work with.

SOME FREE / LOW-COST MARKETING IDEAS

This economy sucks for most of us. Sure, there are reports that the "recession" is "coming to and end", but while you’re waiting for hell to freeze over, here are some low cost and free ideas to keep your marketing afloat…

• Update your website :Not only is this a good mental exercise, it helps your search engine interaction. Editing your site content is a good way of taking a fresh look at what your marketing message is and how you’re putting it across. Updating the content lets search engines know that your site is being updated, and to come back and re-index it.
• Update your blog / Start a blog :If you don’t already have a blog, START ONE. They are free. You can link them back to your website, helping your search engine exposure. You do not have to be a best-selling writer. Everyone has an opinion about something in their industry, even if that opinion is the opposite of everyone elses. Share advice and express yourself. Take a few minutes once a week or every couple of weeks, and put the word out.
• Email Signature :Is your email signature up-to-date? Is your website/blog and contact information in it? No? Then what are you waiting for?
• Social Media : Do you have a Facebook page for your business? This is different from your personal FB page – it’s one that is for PROFESSIONAL purposes only. Seriously consider having one of these, even if all your do is post links to your site/blog in it. It’s a good SEO tool and a free marketing tool. Take a look at Twitter and other social media tools. They may not be for you, but taking a look won’t hurt….
• Online Ads : Use free services such as Craiglsist to place free ads, with links to your website. Don’t put contact information in them, just links to your site/blog. In addition to search engine exposure, you can drive traffic to your website. Make the ads eye-catching and interesting. Just keep them honest. If you have products to sell, consider an eBay auction. You can set a reserve price, and put links back to your website, giving you instant access to a global audience.

Coming up with free / low cost marketing ideas can take a little imagination, but they are out there. Your investment won’t necessarily be financial, but you will need to invest something, even if that "something" is a bit of time.

I’d love to hear about any others. Until next time!

ONLINE MARKETING IS A LABOR OF LOVE

This brief post came as a result of a conversation with a client. She was frustrated by the amount of work she was having to put into her online marketing, feeling that is was an effort with an uncertain reward…

…and of course it is! Last time I checked, there were no guarantees that just because you built a website it was going to be visited by the masses. No one promised that anyone was going read your blog, reply to a tweet or "like" you Facebook.

Whether you’re online for pleasure or business (or both), nothing is certain. There are ways to help improve the potential audience, and by extrapolation potential market, but don’t assume if you build it they will come.

This is why I repeatedly tell clients that online marketing, whether with your site, social media, a blog, emails…however you do it, has to be a labor of love. If you don’t feel passionate about something then why the heck should anyone else?

You started "following" people on Twitter but they didn’t all seem to follow you back. No one seems to retweet your posts either…and sheesh, no one commented on that blog post. It was all good stuff; useful information. Why doesn’t anyone care?

You have to find your online voice and message. Call it a "personality", but your online "self" is the person you are in cyberspace. That person may be just like you in real life, or very different. Yet that person has to have a voice, and a message. If you have no voice, no one will hear you and if you have no message, you have nothing to say. Think, for a moment, about all the crap you see in an average day online…how much of it is really useful or meaninful?

In my opinion, your message needs to be something that means something to you. You can’t always be clever. You’re not always going to have success, but if you care about what you’re "speaking" about, if it’s a labor of love, it will grow.

It’s a bit like gardening. You till the earth (set up your Facebook, website, blog etc) and you plant the seeds (start developing content). You nurture (follow others, leave feedback, interact), weed (unfollow, remove excess or irrelevant content) and harvest. It’s a rare gardener who doesn’t have some casualties along the way, but one hopes, in the end, that is was worth it.

If it seems too much like work, then perhaps you should ask yourself if this is something you should be considering and, by extrapolation, ask yourself if any of this is really what you wanted to do in the first place. Better to find out now…
We gave my client an online “makeover”. She found her niche and passion and her online presence is growing like you wouldn’t believe!

HOW DO YOU REFURBISH A WEBSITE?

When many people hear the word “refurbish”, they tend to think of electronics that have been rebuilt or repaired and then sold at a discount as “almost, but not quite new”. While this is one of the variations of the word, I prefer the dictionary definition (Merriam-Webster) for “refurbish”…

to brighten or freshen up

…especially when it comes to websites.

These are tough economic times, no disputing that fact. In addition, many small business owners or self-employed individuals are watching every penny. I include myself in this. As a web designer, I fully appreciate the decisions that people make to build a website. It’s an expense and a risk. One one had they know they need it, on the other hand there are no guarantees.

For others, however, there is a middle ground that I call a website “refurbish”. Simply put, it’s a clean-up and refreshing of an existing website. It’s not a rebuild, it’s an update. Here are several things that I do and you can do too:

• Update your photographs. Good quality pictures can make the worst-designed website look good. Bad pictures can ruin a well-designed website. Updating your photos periodically is like redecorating a room.
• Change your page colors. Web design color schemes seem to go in cycles. Many people are going back to a more simple, white-or-light scheme with the colors coming from the artwork.
• Take a look at some of your competition and see what they’re doing. I’m not condoning plagiarism of course, but there’s nothing with a little creative “window shopping”.
• Check the formatting and spelling of the content. Have someone else give you sincere feedback. Yes, the truth hurts, but wouldn’t you rather know the truth?
• Dynamic content. If you have a blog, does it “feed” into your website? Getting a “feed reader” from your blog plugged in to your website is, in most cases, very easy. It’s a great tool for search engines because when you update your blog, you website content is also updated.
• Get some basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You don’t have to spend a fortune on high-end programs. If you maintain your own website, you can do this yourself. If not, have a web designer update your “metatags”. These are pieces of code on each page that are used by search engines to index your page. Have him/her make sure your “headers” are correct. Headers are (usually) the big titles you’ll see in a page (ie YOUR WEB DESIGN COMPANY). Work with your webmaster to ensure that both your tags and headers are relevant to your business. Have them also check the image “alt tags”. These are pieces of text that display if a browser has trouble showing a picture on your site. They’re also used by search engines because search engines can’t “read” pictures. This basic SEO should NOT cost a lot!!!
• Make sure your website is in at least the “big three” search engines. These are Yahoo, Bing (MSN) and Google. You can see how your sites are being indexed by going to the home page of each search engine and typing SITE:[www.yourwebsitename.com].

These are a few things you can do that don’t cost an arm and a leg, or at least shouldn’t, but can make a huge difference to your online presence and hopefully help you feel brightened and freshened up.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING? 10 THINGS TO CONSIDER…

The term "social media" has become so widely used (and abused) that the meaning behind it has become rather generic. But remember that the "social" in "social media" should be just that. It suggests interaction and communication…TWO way. There are many many many people out there standing on their little platform shouting out their message and never listening. While this might work for celebrities, in my opinion it’s probably a dubious marketing strategy. If you’re going to use social media, then use it the way it was intended.

1. Understand the terms and tools. Facebook is what I would consider true "social" media. Twitter is more a social commentary tool, little updates during the day. Blogging is more analogous to journaling, or commentary on a bigger scale. Social "bookmarking" means sharing found information with others…and so on. For each of the "classes" of social media tool are dozens, if not hundreds of tools to use. Need go get an idea of how many? Check this link out to AddThis.com.
   
   
2. Be prepared to spend resources. A "resource" is time, effort or money in this case. You’re not going to be able to sit back and do nothing, unless you have someone doing all your social media for you (in which case you’re probably paying them). You’re going to have to make an investment of some sort, but with a solid strategy, you can yield returns.
   
   
3. The tools. Pick the tools and stick with them, at least for a while. I see so many people who flit between products like a bee in a summer field; a bit here, a bit there. Yet they accomplish little to nothing. In this day of the web, trends come and go overnight. You’re not always going to be able or want to use the latest gadget. While I think new technologies and tools should be considered as part of a plan, picking the "latest" thing should not be the plan. Picking the right tools will also depend on what resources you can put into them. Take a product like Twitter. The way it functions, in my opinion, requires a little more "hands on" during the day that some of the less dynamic products such as Facebook or a social bookmarking tool.
   
   
4. Integrate. Bring your social media tools together. Integrate your blog with your Twitter, Facebook or website. Keep your look, personalities and message coherent among the products. There are so many ways to integrate social media tools that I will probably write another article on them.
   
   
5. Separate your lives. Keep your online personalities separate. Your business dealings should be kept apart from your personal dealings. You don’t have to "friend" all your clients on Facebook. If you feel you should, then set up a business profile or page and use that. Do you really want your clients or colleagues to know you "got totally wasted dude"?
   
   
6. A game plan. Sounds obvious doesn’t it? A plan isn’t just a vague idea along the lines of "hm, I think I’ll set up a Twitter account and tell people about my products." A plan includes a goal, milestones, a method for achieving them and a way of measuring success.
   
   
7. Be careful who you listen to. It’s easy to sit there and say "social media brings me 98% of my business and I mad $10,000,000 last year thanks to Twitter." It’s also easy to see that message and be disheartened by it. There seem to be more people who are successful online than there is money in the system, have you noticed? I’m not saying that people don’t have success using social media marketing, but if they’re so busy shouting about it…you get the gist.
   
   
8. Learn. Read blogs. Visit websites. There is so much information out there. Check out trends, not just in your industry, but others. Look for what people are doing out there and consider how you can adapt it for your social media plan.
   
   
9. Manage your time. 60 hours a week online might be overdoing in. Depending on what your tools and plan call for, plan to spend x number of hours a day or week online, and stick to it. Split your time between writing, reading and interacting (remember the "social" in "social media").
   
   
10. Give it time. Rome wasn’t built in a day. With a plan and realistic goals, set over a 3 or 6 month time frame, you can evolve your online presence. It is not going to happen overnight. You need to stick with it, which is why picking the right tools is important.
    
    

With the right tools, mindset and a plan, you’ll be amazed at what you can do. Just take your time and invest wisely. Feel free to email me at Dave@JDELtd.com. Emails are free I also offer training programs, marketing services and support.

Good luck!

WITH WEB DESIGNERS YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

10 Things To Do Before Employing A New Web Designer

As a small business web designer, I have a vested interest in providing quality of service and product to my clients. Referrals account for 90 percent of my business and, as much as we’d like to thing the Internet is a big place, the world is a small one and word gets out.

When I first speak to a potential client, I offer some advice, including a piece that might sound counterproductive. I tell them to speak to at least two more designers. When they ask why I tell them “because when you come back to me, I need you to know you’ve made the right decision”. Perhaps a little self-assured, but you’d be surprised. Here are some of the things I discuss with prospects.

1. SCOPE

What does that “website” include? For example, will it include the design and set up? Will it include the pages that you feel you’ll need or does the price reflect “x number” of pages? When I develop a website, my final price is based on how much work the project will take, not the number of pages. If I’m going to prove a working solution to my client, then why would I say “yes, I can do this but you can only have three pages”?

2. INVOLVEMENT

How involved in the design process are you going to be? Are you expected to pick a design from a collection (template), provide content and that’s it? Many of the lower cost web designers fall into this category, and that’s okay, if you don’t mind working within the confines of a template, or run the risk of looking like others. Just be sure that if there’s something special you need on your site, that it can be included in the template you’re picking.

3. PORTFOLIO

Do you like the designers other sites? It should never be just about finding any old designer and settling. Look at his/her other work.

4. REFERENCES

I am forever amazed that I have to bring this up. You probably wouldn’t hire someone to work in your company without doing a background check, so why hire a web designer without talking to at least one or two previous clients?

5. INTERACTION

How do you feel? If you’re feeling “rushed” or “boxed in”, pressured or worse, being made to feel stupid, is this the person you really want to work with? When the site is built and you need some changes, are you going to get a sigh and an attitude?

6. WHO?

Are you talking to a sales person or the designer? In my case I’m both so you’re dealing with pretty much everyone who you’re going to be involved with, but it does matter. Not to be negative towards sales people, but don’t you want to speak to the designer / programmer so they can “get” what you’re trying to say?

When the site is built and running, is that it? In my case, I always hope that the site is the start of a relationship with a client. Call me a romantic, but if a client has trusted me enough to invest in a good quality product, I intend to be there when they need me.

7. EXTRAS

Other things to ask about are stock photography. This can and does add up. Will you be providing artwork and photographs or will the designer? If he/she does, is that an additional cost? In my case, it is. My cost is simply passed on to the client, I don’t mark it up, but I explain that stock art and photography isn’t free. This can be a tough one, especially if the client wishes to provide their own…home made…the best looking website in the world can be shot to pieces with bad photographs…Conversely, What is NOT included in the price? For example, number of design drafts, or helping you set up a hosting account, integrating your email…the list can go on and on.

8. WARRANTY

Does the site come with a warranty? Yes, I said “warranty”. When any website goes live, no matter how much testing has been done, there is bound to be something that doesn’t work as expected, a combination of clicks that weren’t planned for. Will your designer fix any bugs after “go live” or are these extra?

9. SEO (search engine optimization).

Is this included or extra? It’s one thing to build a site, it’s another to ensure the search engines know about it, and that it’s built properly. I never ever guaranteed “top” placement in Google or any other search engine, but I certainly build and optimize my sites to move up the rankings in an organic and logical way.

10. MARKETING

I design websites for small business for a reason. I see a website as part of a marketing strategy. Part of my role is to help my clients, many of whom are not technical, understand that a website is not a solution unto itself. It is part of a marketing strategy. It’s a tool that needs to be understood and integrated in a marketing plan. This is something I help clients understand and work on. Whether that means helping with social media, blogs, seo or whatever, I see my success as tied into theirs.

Of course my websites aren’t $199. They’re not templates. I don’t outsource to a cheap “production line” company. I do all my own work. It’s always custom. It’s always hands on and it’s always me. Sure, that means it costs a little more, but then again, perhaps you get what you pay for.

(ALMOST) 2 BILLION AND STILL GOING UP!

Holy Internet Batman!

In January 2009 I wrote an article titled “1.5 Billion Internet Users…and Growing“, exploring the incredible development of the use of the web in recent years. I just happened to be (web) surfing this morning when I decided to visit the authority on Internet statistics, Internet World Stats…

…almost 2 BILLION! We’ll perhaps a slight exaggeration. The numbers at the end of 2009, a mere 11 months after I wrote my last were 1,802,330,457. That’s an increase of 400,000,000 users, or 26% of the world’s population.

In North America, the US is way out front in terms of number of users (220 million) but in percentages, it’s behind Greenland (90% but only 57,600 population). Canada has a 75% penetration which translates to 28 million users.

Asia still lags behind with 20% of the population having Internet access, but that’s an increase of 250 million people, almost as much as the entire North American continent. That number is primarily comprised of Chinese web users (384 million or 28% of the population), followed by Japan with 75% (96 million) of the population and India a close third with only 7% but 81 million users.

In Europe, the top three countries, number-of-Internet-users wise are Germany (54 million), the UK (47 million) and Russia (43 million). However, on the percentage scale, the leader is Iceland (93%), Norway (91%), and Sweden (89%).

Netcraft’s 2010 survey of websites reports that 207 million websites responded to their tests. Remember that these include sites such as WordPress which have “sub sites” below them, but this is still an increase of 20 million since my January post (187).

I could go on and on. Take a moment to check out the numbers for yourself. In conclusion, what this all means is that over a quarter of the planet is wired to the web. From an e-marketing and e-business standpoint, that’s an incredible ocean in which to go fishing and all indications are that the numbers are going to continue to go up. The ratio of users to websites is going up, which I guess is good for those of us who have sites, there are more users to go around.

Can’t wait to see how this all looks in another 12 to 18 months. Isn’t the World Wide Web an amazing place?

Reference sources
Internet World Stats at www.internetworldstats.com
Netcraft at www.netcraft.com

OIL AND WATER: INSTANT GRATIFICATION AND MARKETING

In a world of instant gratification, instant messaging and instant coffee, some things take time; a day is still 24 hours long, the seasons (at least for now) come and go in rotation, and building a good reputation doesn’t happened overnight…though destroying it can, but that’s another post.

Especially in the online world, so many people seem to think that it’s all about flooding everyone with tons of information and hoping some of it will stick. Unfortunately, in some cases it seems to work and this encourages others to try the same.

Over 90 percent of email is spam. That’s an amazing amount; 9 out 10. Much of this unwanted garbage is “marketing”, whether for a male “enhancing” pill, someone who wants to pass $2,000,000 through your bank account (have you noticed that the dollar amounts seem to have dropped lately), or people wanting to tell you how to get out of debt.

Look at social media. The “social” part of that term implies interaction and communication. Alas, from Twitter to Facebook, blogging and beyond, the social media world is becoming like the email one, lots of people shouting their message and few listening.

Television, door-to-door salespeople, various causes outside well-know stores, advertisements, banners, signs, business cards…they’re all one-way. YOU MUST BUY / GIVE / USE. If you’re lucky you may hear the “why”.

In my humble opinion, and I don’t profess to be an expert, this isn’t marketing. In my (still humble) opinion, marketing is about having a product or service (or whatever) and informing people about it.

But hang on, isn’t that what everyone is doing?

To some degree, but many seem to have lost the focus that the relationship is as important as the product. It seems to be more about the hit-and-run approach and on we go.

Perhaps I’m a little old-fashioned, but I’m not in the business of trying to ram my products down anyone’s throat. Much of my marketing effort is focused on working with and helping clients, expanding my network and giving.

Did he say “giving”?

Relationships are built on trust. Many first dates don’t start with a kiss, but if all went well, they might end with one….after people get to know each other just a little.

Marketing is no different. Perhaps getting to know me a little and being sincere might lead you to realized that I don’t need or want your product, but you know what, I might know someone who does…and you might learn something…

That is marketing.

DO I HAVE A PRODUCT FOR YOU…!

• Looking for a thud-thud?
• Well, check out this whiz-bang. It does everything a thud-thud does and more!
• It’s only 10 klizzons!
• Tell your friends and we’ll even take their current thud-thud as a trade.
• How many do you want?

With apologies for my dreadful name creation for nonexistent products (stone age meets Star Trek?), the above pseudo-conversation is comprised of sales and marketing cliches. My question to you is, which of the five bullet points are sales and which are marketing.

As you sip your coffee and wonder why the heck you’re even bothering to read this post, I ask you to indulge me, if only for a minute or two.

Many people confuse sales and marketing. In fact, so many companies combine the two that they’re somewhat synonymous or interchangeable. Yet the fact of the matter is that marketing is 80% of the process that comprises "sales and marketing", the ultimate goal of which is to sell something, close a deal, agree a contract, etc.

80%…if applied to the conversation above, that would mean four of the five bullets are marketing related. If you’ve read this far, you probably know which is the odd-one out (sounds a bit like Sesame Street, doesn’t it).

Whoop-de-do Dave, so what’s your point?

My point is that by confusing, whether deliberately or otherwise, the two processes, sales and marketing can become more work for everyone involved. After all, the two require very different approaches. Marketing is, as the name applies, about bringing an item to market, letting people know it’s there, letting them know what it can do to improve their life. What it can do to address a need they have. If you’re looking for a good example of this, take any one of the pharmaceutical ads on TV. It’s a creative process. Whether you’re "dressing up" a product or service or not is up to you, but as a marketing person, you’re present your product’s best side and the benefits it can bring.

Sales is about closing the deal. It’s about negotiation, possibly persuasion. At this point there is at least a perceived desire on the part of the customer. The sales person needs to fill that desire…this making all the customer’s dreams come true.

I see many cases, especially is small business, but in larger companies too, where the desire to close the deal becomes so important that it overshadows the marketing. Consider many door-to-door solicitors. It’s about getting the quick sale before the door is closed, keeping the customer talking, persuading, charming, whatever it takes…all sales….without knowing that the customer may not even be interested. Ditto phone solicitors.

The difference…?

Marketing is about understanding the needs of the potential client and proposing your product or service as a solution. It includes advertising, feedback, market research and all those tasks that help give that the product (or service) every opportunity to succeed.

Without understanding marketing, forget the sale. If you’re like me, a person who is CEO, Janitor and everything in between, you’ve got to wear different hats for different parts of the sales and marketing process.

When wearing your "marketing" hat:

• Know your product(s).
• Learn your clients needs.
• Present your product(s) to your clients to meet their needs.
• Work to generate interest.

Then put the "sales" hat on and close the deal.

Go get ‘em tiger.

Dave Segrove is a Phoenix Small Business Web Designer and Marketing Consultant. You can learn more about Dave’s products and services at www.JDELtd.com.

10 REASONS TO NOT HAVE A WEBSITE

Here are 10 reasons to avoid getting out onto the Internet and joining the online community. These are all reasons we have heard from potential clients…

1. Websites don’t work or aren’t effective marketing tools)

A well designed website will work, at least from a technical standpoint. As a marketing tool, a website can be many things. It’s a 24×7 storefront, showcasing your business to the world when you can’t. There are over a billion computer users on the Internet around the world. That’s a lot of potential exposure. The right site, with the right marketing, both online and offline can be a very useful weapon in your marketing arsenal.

2. I won’t be able to find a web design company that I can trust)

There are good and bad web designers and web design companies. If you don’t have a referral, check out some web design companies online. Check their portfolios and speak to their clients. You’re the customer in the relationship. You should be allowed to ask any question you want, without any pressure or avoidance on the part of the designer. Also, shop around. We designers are a diverse bunch and you should feel comfortable with the one you choose.

3. I’m not technical so I won’t know what I’m getting into)

A good web designer should be able to speak to you in language that you understand. How else can they interpret what you want?

4. I (or someone I know) had a bad experience with a web design company)

Unfortunately this is often then case, but there are many very good designers and design firms out there. About half our clients come from other developers or webmasters, but they do stick with us

5. I won’t be able to find a web design company who will understand my business)

Good web designers learn. It’s how we build sites. We don’t always come into a project knowing too much, but we always know a heck of a lot when we’re done. In order to provide a site that suits your business needs, a designer has to understand at least a bit about what you do. (In my opinion) one size does not fit all.

6. My type of business doesn’t need a website)

Are you sure? Have you checked the search engines lately? You may not need a full-blown e-commerce site, but what about providing a list of services and contact information. Many web surfers use sites just for that. Also, though it may seem strange, many people use the web to verify that companies are legitimate. A website’s a good place to start.

7. Websites take too much time to update)

What is “too much time”? As a marketing tool, a website needs to be invested in to yield returns. You shouldn’t have to spend hours and hours updating your site (unless it’s really big or you really like doing web updates), but you will need to do some, just to keep it up-to-date and fresh. Some of our sites are updated by us. on behalf of the client, only once or twice a year.

8. I won’t know what to ask, so I won’t know what I need)

That’s where we come in. Good web designers know what to ask to get the ball rolling and help you determine what you need.

9. I don’t want to be pressured into something)

This should never happen and if it does, then our advice is “walk away”.

10. Websites are too expensive (to build and/or maintain)

A common misconception. Websites do not to cost a lot. Our custom websites (no templates here) are surprising affordable and hosting costs as little as $50 a year. Also, in many industries, a website can pay for itself very quickly in new business…

…in all cases, those potential clients became actual clients and are still clients today.

There are probably other reasons people can think of, and that’s okay. As a web design company, we hear a lot of concerns and rightly so. It’s a business investment decision and should be made wisely. Whateve the reason for not building a site, have you considered this…what’s the cost of not having one?

Check us out at www.JDELTD.com. Did we mention we’re a custom small business web design company and we love what we do!

Dave Segrove is a Phoenix Small Business Web Designer and Marketing Consultant. You can learn more about Dave’s products and services at www.JDELtd.com.