I just want a website to get my name out there.

This phrase is poison.

Let’s add some context here. You’re at a BBQ and you meet someone new and they tell you that they run a small Air Conditioning business and you tell them that you’re a Web Designer. Seconds later, they blurt out, “I just want a website to get my name out there. Can you help?”. You ask them “Why would you like a website?” and they say, “I’ve got to move with the times man!”. This is when the conversation usually gets a little awry (and not just because you came to down some tasty bbq and pound some beers).

The problem here is lack of education of the business owner. He or she has been somewhere and has heard from someone that they need a website to grow their business and that’s great. What’s not great is that the business owner usually stopped listening then. So, they now know that they need a website but what they don’t know is why they need a website and how it can improve their business.

Fast forward sixth months and this business owner has now visited their local  high school and has paid a pittance for a sixteen year old kid to create a website. A website that looks like your Aunty’s Scrapbook was ‘accidentally’ put in the blender with a bottle of Fanta and bowl full of snails.

When No Website is Better Than a Bad Website

• When the business owner has no idea why they need a website,
• When the web designer has no idea why the business owner needs a website.

When a website is built for the wrong reason for a small business by the wrong web designer, it’s better to have no website at all.

This sounds like a pretty obvious statement but it really means that a small business should also consider a listing on a public index. For Australians this is an index like the The Yellow Pages. No matter your country, you should be listed on Google Local.

No matter your business type, you should always contact your local Regional or Council to post on their website.  After all, getting your business name listed on a .gov or .gov.au website can only mean growth to the website’s prominence.

As a business owner, you should always consider what organisations support your industry. Do they have a website? Yes, get listed! For a split second, put yourself in the shoes of your typical customer. In the instance of an Air Conditioning business, ask yourself, “If I wanted my out of warranty air conditioner fixed, how would I know who to call?”. Yellow Pages? Google? or would you go to the website of your manufacturer and look at the “Certified Repairers” link?

It’s better to be represented by a tried and tested formula rather than an ugly looking website that lacked any real purpose.