Fredo, you’re nothing to me now. You’re not a brother, you’re not a friend. I don’t want to know you or what you do. I don’t want to see you at the hotels, I don’t want you near my house. When you see our mother, I want to know a day in advance, so I won’t be there. You understand? “ (by Michael Corleone) Basically … You’re dead to me.
I so get this. Ok, so I’m part Italian, though I feel that dominates my entire personality at times, and anyone who knows me knows that when I’m done, I’m done and basically … “you’re dead to me”. It’s just part of my make up. But heck …
I’m Not the Only One Who Feels That Way.
Let me tell you … if you’re a small business and you don’t have a website; you’re dead to a lot more folks than just me. They may not utter the exact words “you’re dead to me”, but they very well may use the word, “Next!” If you’re a plumber, roofer, electrician or any business in the trades and someone is looking up your services and all that comes up is an online listing with just your name and a phone number, then you can pretty much be sure you are missing business … period.
Forget Everything Else, Let’s Talk Legitimacy Here.
Really, we’ve come to a point where people expect you to have a presence on the web and that means more than a free listing and more than a Facebook page. We are talking legitimacy and professionalism. Lame excuses like “we rely on word of mouth” (really think about those words) or “we don’t even have a computer” are just that … lame excuses. People have very little patience with the reasoning behind why you don’t have a website nowadays.
You’re Savvy and You Know It.
The positive of all this is gone are the days where you have to give up your firstborn to afford an attractive, functional and informative website. Oh, there are still places that have the man behind the curtain scaring you into thinking you need way more than necessary and that this is all just a big mystery, but you’re more savvy than that … I know it! You need to exist on the web and you needed to yesterday; however, this being the beginning of a great New Year, it’s the perfect time to make it a resolution, a goal, a mission or whatever and get a website that will meet the needs of your business. Do your homework and ask questions. And remember, just because it’s long overdue and you know you need a website, don’t panic and jump on board with the first person who solicits you or some enticing ad you run across. Ask around, search for other sites in your trade – getting a feel for what you like and what you think would address the needs of your potential customers.
What This is Really About.
Remain in control and be sure you get what you want; not what someone else wants. This isn’t about some entity making money off of you or your small business; it’s about you getting a needed presence on the web and you getting what you want and should expect from your website design. It’s that simple.
Have a positive or negative website experience? We’d love to know.
To decide is to walk facing forward with nary a crick in your neck from looking back at the crossroads. ~ Betsy Cañas Garmon
