More than a website

I have met a decent amount of people who run a company, a store or an institute and they talk about their need to prove they don’t ignore the Web. So they are eager to put some money, not much money most of the times, in it. This is good but certainly not enough.

OK, we agree, you need a website. What comes next is a common mistake: these people think that a single website can bring a significant change and they are going to become famous or rich. At the same time most of them they think they know what it takes before, during and after the real development of their website.

In reality a new website is nothing but a tiny portion of what we call the Web. A metaphor: does anyone consider how many times takes to see a commercial spot on TV in order to learn about a product, be convinced and finally buy it? Numerous. (Suppose that the commercial is technically elegant, passes an intelligent message, talks about a product in supply which can be easily found.) Similar things happen in the Web.

Comparing the media

The previously mentioned scenario requires the cooperation of different factors. A customer must make a research for a good advertising company, the people in there would seek for technicians elsewhere which would make similar research in a different area etc. Then someone would decide where, when and how often this spot should be broadcasted. I leave out all the crucial small details that define the final result which should be “selling the product”.

A company who cares for its product would never do all these alone, so why should they leave their website in non trusted hands? I am a realist, I know well that most websites are being developed by sons or nephews or someone “who knows”. However I hope and I do believe that things are going to change. I wish I knew when.

What is different between TV and the Web is the fact that a website can be dramatically cheaper and more profitable in a given, not so short, period of time. A website stays, while a TV commercial comes and go. A website targets to different scope and can pass a series of messages. We are talking about different media. A lot of people seem to understand the difference but how many really do?

The road to hell

I have already written about the false impression that a website is enough. Let’s see an example. I plan summer vacations to the island X. The first thing I do next is to look for a place to stay. A hotel. I google it and I find some hotels there. So far so good.

Most of the websites of the hotels in my dream island X look the same. At least there are some websites. Most of the pictures are not of fine quality. OK, at least there are some pictures. I can’t find more info though. I look for people who have gone there for some advice. Anyway I select the hotel Y. It would be good to reserve a room via my credit card, but since the website looks awkward I don’t trust the system. I also need to know if there are rooms the period I want to go there. So I have to call them. If everything goes well I will need to go a bank and pay an amount in advance.

So far I have done several things I shouldn’t need to do (phone calls, go to bank etc.). Furthermore I am not sure at all of what i am going to find this hotel. When I go I discover things which looked completely different online and most of the times what I pay is far more of what I supposed to.

What comes next? I leave the island highly disappointed and I try to warn everyone not to visit the same hotel. I can also write about their services in my blog and probably complain about the whole island as well. Why should I destroy my summer vacations because some people are amateurs?

The need for good services

A website cannot solve all problems, but it is our home. If the materials are good, the house will be robust. If the owners are hospitable, people will come in. If the people who live in are sincere they will be trusted.

There are several ways to promote one’s services or products without having to cheat. It may be a hotel room, a light bulb or a chair. A decent website which informs a visitor, tells the truth and remains active will be rewarded in the end. It doesn’t matter whether the room is in Four Seasons or in an unknown cheap hotel. All people need a hotel during their vacations no matter how rich they are. The same way, all people need light bulbs and chairs.

People who own a company, a shop or provide services need to take a turn and change their business culture when it comes to the Web. They need to take it seriously, make researches, find the professionals who will develop it, trust them and invest on them.

When I see websites who haven’t updated their news section for months I conclude they don’t need such a section. When it is difficult to find the Contact link in there I conclude that a nephew must have built this website. When I see text made for a newspaper presented in the Web I conclude that nobody took care of the content and the context. I am not talking about technical issues, I am talking about obvious faults.

As I consumer I don’t easily trust people who own such websites. They might offer excellent services but how am I going to discover it? Since they know they need a website it is about time they should care for a decent one.