How do you want your company to be perceived? Presumably as a leader, the crème de la crème, the best of the best, the pick of the crop! You get what I’m saying. There aren’t too many prospective clients I speak with who accept mediocrity or commonality, they want to be different, to stand out from their competitors and be on the leading edge. Let’s explore how template websites fit in.
Appreciating that most people and organizations won’t stand for anything sub-par I often ask myself why then do so many people accept mediocre cookie cutter websites to represent their organization’s image. An image is one of the elements within their full control.
Consider that almost 50% of the global population is online according to Internet World Stats, why would you want your company represented like someone else’s Why isn’t your message unique to differentiate and allow you the opportunity to stand out amongst the masses?
As of late, I’ve been seeing a lot of effort put forth by major vendors like Wix.com and GoDaddy promoting template websites with cookie cutter web solutions, drag this, drop that, and boom, you’ve got a site for a mere $19.99 / month or a marginal one time fee. You also have just earned the coveted designation of being a web designer and developer (full sarcasm). If that’s what your companies image is worth to you, don’t be disappointed with your sub-par product purchased for a bargain basement price which will ultimately lead most of you to sub-par online success.
Template websites questions you need to ask yourself:
- What is the main goal of my website?
- Who is my target audience and what would they expect?
- What mood am I trying to invoke and what emotions do I want to capture?
- How do I generate a lead through my website? What are my strategies? (Unless your site is just a glorified brochure)
- Do I have the right literature, imagery and direction to succeed online?
- What is my company’s image worth to me?
Client input is the foundation on which successful marketing strategies are built. A lot of that input and collaboration can never be achieved without the assistance of professionals.
Remember, your website is a representation of you, your organization, your goals, objectives and appearance.
Aim to make an awesome first impression, because you may never get a second chance.
