Don't buy on price... buy on value! Web sites and razors...

My wife recently got a bloody reminder (literally) of what happens when you make purchase decisions based on price, not on value. She's an extremely frugal person so I'm not surprised this happened, but I'm hoping she learned her lesson and there may be a lesson in here for you as well.

We slipped over to Sedona, AZ for a long weekend of hiking and relaxing. Invariably one of us forgets something (usually me!) and this time she forgot to pack a razor to shave her legs. So we stopped by the local grocery store to pick up a replacement. I got distracted and was looking at other items and didn't pay attention to what she was doing. It was only later when I noticed a bath towel with blood on it that I knew something went wrong. When I asked her she admitted that she had cut herself in multiple places while shaving. She also said what didn't get cut was "razor burned" and that the skin on her legs was very uncomfortable.  When I probed further she said she bought a cheap brand, not her usual brand because it was twice as much in Sedona as it cost her at home (remember I said she was frugal...). So instead of spending $10 on the brand she knew, liked and trusted her legs to for years, she spent $5 (saved $5 ???) and bled for it.

So what does this have to do with Web sites? I run into the occasional potential client that buys on price, not on value. Do they bleed afterwards? Physically no, however their businesses bottom line may. The real problem is most business owners don't understand the difference between an inexpensive Web site and a site that adds value to their business. They know they need a Web site and they rush out looking for the Web developer that will give them the cheapest price, plunk down their credit card and think they can cross Web site off their to do list. In QuickBooks they'll record this as a marketing expense.  This Web site will truly be an expense. They've paid to build it and they'll pay to host it (another expense entry). They've put little into it, and they'll get little out of it. The alternative...

Build a Web site as an investment. Record it in the accounting package as an asset, because it truly could be an asset to the growth of the business. A Web site with value first attracts new business through search rankings on Google. It informs the site visitor of what you have to offer and positions your company as the leader in your industry. It provides a clear call to action as to what site visitors should do next. It may be filling out a contact form, making a phone call, or downloading a white paper or case study. It helps build that relationship with your new prospective customer. In the case of an e-commerce site it may even makes the sale for you. Will the cheaply priced Web site do that? Not likely. How do you know if you're buying on price? If you are spending under $2,000 dollars, you're buying on price. If you are trying to build the site yourself... you are buying on price. If you don't know the difference between a good site that provides value and a cheap site... you are probably going to buy on price.

Education is the key to making a good buying decision. Let us help you to learn the difference. Contact us or call us at 1-800-801-9576 ext. 1 for sales. We'll help you make an informed decision so you don't wind up bleeding from your cheap Web site purchase.