They come in all shapes and sizes
I often get asked the question, “How much is a website?”. There really is no answer to this, it’s a bit like asking “How much is a car?”. Just as cars can be big, small, fast, reliable, luxury, classic or rusty old bangers – websites too come in all shapes and sizes.
Whether you buy a Ferrari, a Volvo or a Range Rover depends on your needs and budget. Similarly, the creation process of a website must also be tailored to your requirements. After a brief discussion, a good web designer will be able to get a feel for what you are looking for and create something that’s right for you.
Look out for the dodgy dealers in both the car and web industry. You don’t want your wheel falling off as you pull away from the car dealership, or a website that doesn’t work!
They should look good and perform well
You wouldn’t show up to a client meeting in a car that’s chugging along with smoke pouring out of the exhaust. You wouldn’t show up to a client meeting in a car with pink and orange multicoloured doors (I hope!).
First impressions count, and it’s very important that your website looks professional and functions well. If a website looks ugly or doesn’t work it reflects badly upon you and could cost you business.
They can help you reach new places
A car helps you to broaden your horizons. A website helps you reach a larger market. Even the most basic website can act as a great shop window for your company. It’s a marketing tool that’s live 24/7 so you never know who might stumble across it.
More and more people use search engines to find the things they need. Hundreds of millions of searches are made on Google per day, so make sure you have a web presence otherwise you might be losing out on customers.
They need topping up
Without petrol a car won’t go anywhere, unless you fancy pushing it. Without fresh content a website starts to look unloved. I once read this summarised very succinctly – “A website is never finished, only abandoned”.
New content keeps your website dynamic and gives your visitors a reason to come back. Furthermore, the major search engines prefer websites with fresh, unique content and give them priority in their rankings.
Whether it’s an article, some research, pieces of advice or just the latest company news, it all helps to keep your site current.
They need crash testing
Before any car is released it goes through rigorous safety testing. A website must also be tested in a variety of different environments. For example, it needs to display correctly on all of the most common internet browsers and it must be accessible for people who use text only browsers and screen readers. It must also be user tested by other people to make sure the navigation is clear and easy to use.
Need a website? Please get in touch and I would be very happy to discuss it further.
Last month I helped to put together a small website for Airedale Boat Club. Airedale Boat Club has been located above the renowned Bingley Five Rise locks on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal since 1959.
