Biggest Website Mistake

Do you have a friend or relative that tells you he or she can create a website for you?  Although getting a free website sounds appealing, think twice before pursuing this option. This often turns into the biggest mistake you can make. Here’s why:

1. Your website is the most important marketing investment you will make.
Customers will tend to equate the quality of your website with the quality of your business. Customers will assume that if you are satisfied with a mediocre website, you are probably also satisfied with mediocre products and services. And, unlike an advertisement, which quickly disappears, a website is visible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Do NOT cut corners with your website!

Is your friend or relative a professional graphic designer?  Is he or she a professional photographer?  If not, you are making a big mistake by letting them create something as important as your website.

2. Who Will Maintain the Site?
Lots of people think it is fun to try to create a website. Nobody thinks it is fun to make ongoing changes. When you need to update your site you will find that your friend or relative is a lot less enthusiastic about it, especially if he or she never got paid in the first place.

Being in a position where your website will be out of date unless someone is willing to do you a favor is not a healthy situation. Don’t make the mistake of letting this happen to you.

3. Painful Separation
Even if you were willing to cut corners to get your first website up and running, eventually you will need to have a professionally designed and maintained site. Unfortunately, this requires you to tell your friend or relative that you no longer think their work is good enough. Although they may assure you it won’t be a problem, don’t be surprised when hurt feelings result.

Community Communications has helped dozens of customers migrate from a website that was created by a friend or relative. In all cases, the customer has regretted getting into that situation. Their business was hurt and often their relationship with the developer was hurt as well. Make sure you think long and hard before heading down this path.