9 Tales From The Crypt Of Online Marketing: Why Cheap Websites Are More Expensive Than You Think

Tales from the Crypt of Online Marketing – Vol. 9

Your website may be underperforming because it is underpaid

During one of my regular excursions on Facebook, I came across a post where someone argued for proper investment in a website and listed all the reasons for doing so.

Heck, I could have written that post myself!

And as usual, then came a lot of answers saying more or less the same thing: “But what if I don’t have money?”

Oh yes, the money quibble is a big one. And a valid one too! So valid that it is something that all parents have told us when we were children, right?

I remember one summer desperately wanting to get a pair of those beautiful black riding boots, the kind you see on horse shows on TV.

Of course, she had no idea how much they cost, but she knew she had to have them in order to fit in with the “in” crowd at school. I mean, this was something important!

My mom and I went to the local co-op to find my precious boots and once my mom saw the price tag, I got the wise wisdom I’m sure we’ve all heard:

“Money does not grow on trees”.

So, he bought a cheap pair of fake rubber boots. And sure enough, the black tint faded soon after, showing how cheap they were. They were completely useless in achieving the desired result of me becoming a member of the esteemed “in” crowd at school.

As a result of hearing that age-old wisdom many times after the devastating boot debacle, I myself became quite greedy as an adult. I’m pretty sure my kids have heard that same chant numerous times. (Sorry kids!)

It wasn’t until I married my first husband that I realized there was another way to see cheap.

One of our first major purchases was the exciting new, though now defunct, VCR (that’s a video tape recorder for you youngsters). I remember going to the electronics department at our local Gosling’s store in downtown Abbotsford.

We were overwhelmed with all the options. Different brands and different price tags too.

My then-husband educated me on courage that day, and his words never left me. He said it’s much less expensive to buy a higher-priced quality item now than to have to replace it tomorrow.

Better quality lasts longer.

We went for the Hitachi model and it lasted for years.

And the same principle applies when creating your business website.

If you decide to go the cheap or DIY route, your business:

• You won’t get the sales and conversions you need to grow your business, because it won’t look good or perform well.
• It will seem fond of visitors, who will not trust what you say.
• You’ll end up attracting customers who are looking for cheap prices, because you’re sending the message that your brand is cheap.

As a result, you will soon realize that you need to invest even more than you would have if you had chosen quality. I know this because we’ve had many clients come to us over the years lamenting how much time, effort, and money they wasted on a cheap website option before finding us.

We then had to redo everything for which they paid pennies.

Here’s that common question again: But what if you don’t have the money?

I am a firm believer that there is always a way if you want something bad enough.

Here are some ideas to consider:

• reduce spending in other areas that are not absolutely necessary at this time. For example, signing up for another course to teach you another 10-step process that probably won’t work.
• Find a job. There is nothing shameful about earning a living while working on building your business. Many people do! Do whatever it takes to make sure you have money for your personal and business bills.
• Look for investors. Maybe you have an amazing idea that you just know would take off if you had the money. Look for investors who believe in your vision and provide you with the financing you need to succeed.
• Remember that you are starting/running a business. Most businesses need seed capital to get started. Consider the money you spend on your website as an investment in your future business profits. Write a business plan and take it to the bank to apply for a loan or line of credit.

These are just a few suggestions, and I’m sure I have some money coaches reading this who can contribute more! I hope I have inspired you to start thinking outside the box and realize that your business is worth the investment of a properly built website.

If not, I’d say you’ve decided you don’t WANT to spend the money. I am right? You have other priorities that matter more.

If you’re nodding, that’s fine. It’s your choice.

But know that if you go the cheap, DIY route, it will take you longer to reach your goals, and you may never get the results you want.

And in case you were wondering, I never got that coveted “in” crown in school, despite my tireless efforts. Was it because of the cheap boots? Maybe not, but they sure didn’t help me either!

Therefore, I highly recommend that you avoid losing valuable leads and sales by not having a professionally designed and built website. Instead, having a cheap one is actually costing you a lot more than you think.

Around here, we’re not cheap. But relatively speaking we are not expensive either. Cheap means you get what you pay for, but you don’t have to get the Lamborghini version off a site either. Just one that represents your brand to the right target audience, with the right marketing message.

That is what will turn your visitors into brand ambassadors.

Give me a call or contact me online to find out how we can transform your broken website into one that brings you valuable leads and sales.

For the success of your business,

Suzanne

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

1. Visit us for our video teatime tip: Buying an SEO or web design company based on the lowest possible price? Discover the true costs of “cheap”, “low cost” and “thrift” in business. Look: How much does cheap SEO and website design really cost you?
2. Book: Think and Grow Rich! The Original, Restored and Revised Version™.
3. Visit us to read our article: What to have in place before finding a web developer or web development agency for website design and quotes for your business. Read: 9 things to be clear about before hiring a web developer.
4. Visit us for our video tip: Get the insider’s perspective on what a web developer needs to know to create a professional, engaging and effective business website: How to Hire the Right Web Developer for Your Business.
5. Article: Cheap and Convenient WordPress vs. Lost Leads and Sales: Here’s the Top Reason You’re Not Getting Valuable Website Leads and Sales – Why Your ‘Just Another WordPress Site’ Might Be Costing You Sales valuable.
6. Visit us to read our article: Entrepreneurs think as long as they can build a website, they should except they don’t know what they don’t know. This article explains: Why Entrepreneurs Shouldn’t Build Their Own Websites.
7. Financial resource: Canada Small Business Financing Program.