Your website is one of the most powerful marketing tools you will ever have, especially for small business owners. It is the interface of your business and tells a lot about the image of the organization. A well-thought-out design and systematized pages give the first impression of a business serious about delivering quality service to its customers.
On the other hand, a poorly designed and disorganized website gives your business a negative image. In other words, you are telling your potential customers that you do not care that much about your business, and if that is the case, there is a big chance you will not care much about theirs. Well, you may dismiss that and say that is not true, but unfortunately it is. I know this from a personal experience. Let me share this with you for a moment.
One of my clients, an NGO, forwarded me an email of a sponsor who had donated a very generous amount of money to their organization. In that email, the donor outlines the reasons for such a magnanimous offer. One of the main reasons was the website, believe it or not. The donor said that, and I paraphrase; your website gave us the impression of a very professional NGO doing a great job of keeping our children safe on the road. We would love to be part of this honorable vision.
Before she forwarded me this email, I had previously met with her in the office in the afternoon of the same day. She was so excited and could not wait to share the great news with me. I congratulated her and expressed my admiration for pulling it off. She responded without wasting time, “It was you! The website you did for me made a big difference.”
You have no idea how that made me feel. I was feeling pretty chuffed, you know. The email she later forwarded was only a substantiation of what we rejoiced about in her office.
My piece of advice is this; never take things for granted when it comes to your website. In this age, it can make or break your business, especially if your main form of marketing is through online (binary) means. Take the time to think through design carefully, taking into consideration all the important aspects (usability, look and feel, ease of usage, user experience etc.) before you start marketing your business website.
If you are not proud of your website, you can be sure that potential customers or partners will not be proud to be associated with you.
