Website investment or an expense?

With the onset of inexpensive web enabled smart phones, developing an effective internet web site presence is even more crucial than ever. Any new or existing company will need to evaluate, or re-evaluate their web solutions. If this is a new start up, you will need to determine if a web site is an appropriate use of startup resources, or if it will be a nicety further down the road. A bar in the northern Wisconsin may not see this as critical as a bar in Milwaukee or Chicago. However, this evaluation must take place as part of your start up efforts. Remember, these new technologically savvy customers have no qualms about logging in online on their web enabled phones and spending a few bucks; they've done it before, they'll do it again!

For those that determine that a web site solution will be a factor in the company's success, you must be ready to appropriate startup resources to this solution and consider this as critical as brick and mortar. The next decision will need to be how much to invest in an online presence. As with anything else, you get what you pay for. If you have your 15 year old nephew develop your online presence, then be prepared for your website to perform as if your 15 year old nephew designed it. This may save you a couple hundred bucks up front, but may end up costing you thousands of dollars in both tangible and intangible income. As with anything else, first impressions is EVERYTHING and you may only have that first glance, and then its game over. Remember, an online customers has literally millions of online vendors and sites to go to, if they are on your website, don't insult them or waste their time with a shoddy, unprofessional website; rather, engage in a Shock and Awe campaign and earn their business. You may only have that one chance.

As with brick and mortar, there are real costs to an effective website solution. E-Commerce is a very real concept and the potential to earn thousands, even millions in revenue is very real. Today's customers are savvy, frugal, shoppers so be ready to take them seriously and appropriately invest in an effective website solution. Be prepared to offer them a friendly, positive experience on your website as if your brick and mortar store. If you only have a couple hundred dollars to spend on an effective website solution, then you'll need to rework your business plan. Determine the percentage you realistically expect to earn from a website (tangible/intangible) and be prepared to invest accordingly. If that percentage doesn't reconcile to dollars and cents, then start over and re-evaluate.

If you are serious about the success of your business and you have determined that a website solution will be key in the success of your company, then be ready to treat this solution accordingly! Be prepared to appropriate dollars and cents as you would to the brick and mortar. Online business is serious business. Treat it as such.