I just got off the phone with a potential client who told me “money is too tight right now” to proceed with website development. This was before I even presented my game plan or mentioned any numbers. I wanted to scream “Of course money is tight! Listen to my plan because I am confident that it will improve sales!”
It surprises me when people consider their website a nonessential extra. As if a website (for a retail business by the way) is an added bonus to be considered only when business is booming. That’s the 1990 way of thinking, and it’s surprising (at least to me, a web developer) how pervasive that mindset is today.
The economy is in bad shape. Cash flow is tight for everyone. Should small businesses cut back on unnecessary spending? Yes. Should they investigate smarter (aka greater ROI) ways to invest in their business’ future? YES! For example, I believe a smart web development project can provide the greatest return on investment of any other marketing venture.
In this economic climate I realize the first reaction is to hide under a rock and wait out the storm, but isn’t it always smart to take action to invest in the future – to take your destiny into your own hands? I know, easier said than done, right? What do you think?
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Can you find some way to guarantee it? Sure, I believe that improvements to your website should increase sales — but there are a lot of factors. What can you guarantee? That should be part of the pitch.
Lou,
Thanks for making that great point. It’s not enough for me to tell a potential client “I can help your business.” Unless I have already earned their trust from a credible referral I need something else to put on the line. A guarantee is an interesting idea. Let me think more about how I could implement such a thing.
Drew, I believe a website is an essential extension of the business. In brick and mortar terms of sales it is your “drive-thru” to the net, but it also serves a variety of other functions. The client may not be as savvy as a web developer or understand what benefits can be derived. How can that information be better conveyed to the client.
Doug,
You’re spot on. When it comes to the potential benefits of the web, there is a massive disconnect between what I (as the developer) know to be possible and what the client knows to be possible. In fact, I believe this void (between what is possible and what the “average” person believes to be possible) is growing ever wider and deeper. In other words, the percentage of the population that “gets it” is growing ever smaller. But thats a topic for another day.
So the challenge, as you said, is to transfer that understanding to potential clients. Essentially, to teach. Unfortunately teaching in a business setting feels a lot like selling – to which people tend to have a natural aversion. Hmm, sounds like you’ve given me some ideas for a new blog post… thanks again for the insight. Looking forward to your comments in the future.
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