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“I've spent a lot of time and money getting my business plugged-in online, but I never seem to get what I want.”

It happens all the time. If you're a company that has decided to make the web an integral part of your business, then you've probably had a lot of learning by the school of hard knocks. Despite the fact that even your neighbor's kid knows how to put together a website, many business owners end up disappointed trying to get what they want from the web.

In order to help you avoid this headache, we've assembled a list of questions to ask yourself and your web company to make sure you're dealing with the right kind of people to make your web efforts work.

First, consider what you're trying to achieve. We've identified 6 different goals businesses have for their web efforts. Start by choosing which one(s) apply to you, then keep in mind the following:

  1. Legitimatize your business
    Since your customers expect you to have a website, you want to meet their expectations. The biggest question to ask at this stage is usually how much can I afford to spend. Know your budget ahead of time – if you're next to broke, then the kid next door probably is your best bet. You can pretty much spend as little or as much as you want at this stage, but you do often get what you pay for. A bigger budget should get you a better looking website, which affects your customers' perception of the quality of your product or service.
  2. I want my customers to “find me” online
    The next most common goal online is to get your business found. This is the first place many traditional web companies start to go wrong. Be sure the company you work with takes the time to really understand your business and chooses strategies that work for your business. Search-engine-optimization (SEO) and search-engine-marketing (SEM) or pay-per-click (PPC) marketing are two ways to get found on the web, but what if too many people are fighting for the same space and you're still lost or you're paying so much on PPC that when all is said and done, you're not making any money? A company with real expertise will have alternative ways to get you noticed online and make sure you aren't wasting your time and money on bad results or bad leads.
  3. I need a better way to educate my customers on my products or services
    Some products are more complicated than others and require more education of the customer. Since you or your sales staff can't be everywhere at once and visuals are often easier provided online, many businesses are using live-action or fully animated videos to better demonstrate their product or service. This is something that may or may not be outside of the expertise of the web companies you've worked with in the past.It's not always a bad thing for your web expert to have to outsource some video work, but if this is something out of the ordinary for your web guys, then they are less likely to have a good “go-to-guy”, and it could show in the quality of your video. Even more rare is a company that can create a half-descent animated video. If this is something you are looking for, insist on seeing samples of similar work they have done in the past.
  4. I want to use the web to further the relationship we have with our customers
    A lot of businesses are using the web as a way to stay connected to their clients. This might mean social media like Twitter or Facebook or a newsletter, or even creating their own community online.Again, the question most companies fail to ask you is why or how this makes sense for your business. Yes stronger relationships with your customers is a good thing that leads to repeat business and referrals, but what is the right vehicle your customers will respond to and how often should you be talking to them: too little and you might as well save yourself the time and expense, too much and your customer feels abused and bombarded. A good company will be able to advise you on what is right for your customers and your business.
  5. I want my website to sell my products for me
    Now you're talking big time. If you expect most, all, or even a significant portion of your business to come from your website, you better be working with the right company. While you may be able to manage your site from inside your company with only occasional help from outside, you better start with a knowledgeable company that knows how to build for the company you are as well as the company you want to be.Growth happens quickly on the web, and if you cheap out now it could be harder to change as time goes on and customers get used to your current systems. In addition, many companies use “canned” shopping carts that may leave your business operating around your website, rather than your website operating around your business.
  6. I want to use the capabilities of the web to increase the efficiency of my business
    Many people now are turning to the web to help their people collaborate to save time and money and improve the quality of service they provide their customer. Businesses also use web applications to store and utilize their customer data in new and exciting ways that drive their business farther than they could have in the past. These type of endeavors are the most difficult to pull off and are what really leave many owners, Presidents and VPs feeling frustrated with the ineptness of their web experts. You know it can be done, you've seen it, but what you get is all promises and no delivery. This is the hardest piece to feel out ahead of time, before starting work with a web company.

You need to listen carefully to what your company says and how they say it. Listen carefully for them to push back on you; to set realistic expectations, and to warn you ahead of time of what the challenges are and not promise you the world for a dime. Again, despite our hopes and dreams to find the diamond in the rough, all too often we find that we do get what we pay for.

TradeMark Advertising

865-966-1690

TradeMark Advertising is based in Knoxville, Tennessee and is a full-service marketing, advertising and web design/online marketing firm. We've served both national and local clients within Tennessee and surrounding states since 1996. While we have strong roots in traditional media such as radio, television, billboards, video and direct mail, we've also kept with the times and now specialize in web and online marketing.