It's been an interesting month so far. I've had some personnel issues which have thrown a monkey wrench into some of my plans... but most of everything else is going great! I can really see things lining up for the coming months.
What's most exciting is how often the phone is ringing or people are filling out the contact form, interested in various web services. I've had more meeetings this month than I can ever remember! It's great, because it gives me a chance to do what I really enjoy most... which is helping small business owners really evaluate their websites and devise a comprehensive strategy for success.
So many web developers/designers focus on what the client tells them they want. Not that I ignore their requests... quite the opposite. But I see my role a little differently. It's the customer's job to understand their business and what they want the website to accomplish. It's my job to tell them how to get it done. So many times a client will come in with a preconceived notion of what their website should do. "I just want a simple site that says what we do and how to contact us". BORING! No prospective customer is going to see that and get excited about what you do. That's when I can make recommendations that will provide real value.
My favorite moment is when I see the customer really "get it". I had this moment with a client last week. She had been doing her website on the cheap for months... and it was kinda working because people would call her and compliment her site. But it really didn't reflect what she was trying to do... and it wasn't showing up high enough on the search engines. During the meeting, I was explaining what services I think she needed and she was showing some resistance, still trying to do everything in the least expensive way possible. Finally, I just said to her,
You've been doing everything half-assed which was appropriate for a new business. But now it's time to stop doing things that way and do things right.
And it's really true... I'm not going to be the lowest cost option. I cannot and do not want to compete with a $200 website from Yahoo. Site Street is about providing the right solution that will create real return on investment for a small business. Not every small business can afford what they really need... but when they can, it's critical that they find the web company that can provide that... and not just a $200 Yahoo website for $2000!