FREE BAIT!

I am all about DIY. At least I am really good at delegating DIY projects to my husband. There are certain things I can do myself like wash my car, clean my house (although I don’t like it), and paint walls. Its true though that the professionals do it much better than I, so the question is where does DIY really pay off and where does it cost you, particularly when it comes to your website?

Web designers and developers truly understand the inner workings of the web. They know how to create interfaces that encourage visitors to go past your home page, they know how to code pages that load fast because we know that your potential customer is short on time and in need of your contact information. They know how to set up your website to work on smart phones and create sites that are accessible for people with disabilities - all things that are really important for successful web marketing.

A bad website is like finding out the health department shut down a restaurant — you just don’t go there. It says boatloads about what kind of business you are even if you don’t mean it to. That’s today’s marketing reality.So you have a tight budget and you can’t afford all the bells and whistles. You can try out a free template but I find many of my clients become frustrated with that if they don’t know HTML. A business card website is a nice option where it gets you out there for not a lot of money and you can always add on later. Usually it consists of one page listing your services, contact info and a call to action. Business card sites at least get you out there with a good design as opposed to having several pages of content presented on a faulty design.

I am all for DIY, don’t get me wrong, but make sure you are willing to roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches when it is going to save you money but not at the risk of losing a customer.  

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The last five years have been glorious. All my 30+ friends that own houses were living large and loving it. Gucci purses, weekly spa treatments and lavish vacations.

It is very reminiscent of the mid-90’s when all my friends were working at AOL and planning to retire on stock options at 30.

And here we are facing a recession. Many businesses, large and small, are quick to cut marketing budgets in these times. Luckily, small business owners are a little more flexible in budget adjusments than corporations.

According to Terry Brock, Marketing and Technology Coach, “Tough times have a lot of benefits for those that have that indomitable spirit to succeed. What many don’t realize is that tough times create enormous opportunities for those willing to seize the moment.” (http://www.terrybrock.com)

Be creative in your marketing. Its likely your competition is setting out to cut their budgets as well. Take advantage of that opportunity to shine.

Here are some money saving tips to staying on top:

• Negotiate ad rates. For print publications, you can pick up remnant ads which is unfilled space that crops up before they go to press.

• Create targeted campaigns. Really define your target audience and work on campaigns to reach them directly and creatively so you are not spending willy nilly without a defined message.

• Create word of mouth opportunities and incentives for existing customers to bring in potential customers. Make your customers your sales team.

• Send emails. You can email tips, helpful resources or discounts. Email blasts are cheap and people sign up for them if they think they are going to get something free.

• Put it on the web. A website is hands down the cheapest and handiest marketing tool. If you have one, update it and if you don’t have one, get one. It is the main way most people get their information so make sure they can get yours.

• Provide great customer service. I can already tell you that you can beat your competition on this one. Customer service is severely lacking these days and creating a positive customer experience will win you business. Period.

Even if you are feeling the pinch of tough financial times, don’t let on that you are. Stay on top of things, keep your existing customers happy and get in the minds of new and potentional customers so when they have money again, they will give it to you!

All the best!

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Many web designers will give you a pre-design questionnaire. Here is one I stumbled upon for reference. As you prepare to go into the design process, having the elements requested in this questionnaire at the ready will make all the difference in getting a website without a lot of hangups in the process.

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