At a marketing workshop I attended recently, the subject of web sites naturally came up. One attendee was feeling the pressure to create a web site for his insurance business. Although he knew he “ought” to have one, he was obviously reluctant (indeed, suspicious) about the need, the cost and the benefit.

His reasons for not getting a site boiled down to:

1. Web sites cost too much (and the quality of the work is “all the same anyway”).
2. He gets his business by word of mouth.

Today, I’m going to examine reason #1. I’ll address reason #2 next week.  So let’s consider the misconception that “web sites cost too much:”

Don’t compare oranges to apples.

What’s “too much”? Is $40K too much for a Porsche? For a VW Beetle? You’ve got to be specific about what you are buying, whether it’s a web site, a car or a nice dinner for two.

A six page web site without any content management system, no data capture and few graphics will be much less expensive than a 200 page e-commerce site. The smaller site, however high the quality, will take less time to design, less time to write, and less time to code. The e-commerce site needs excellent photography and plenty of it, carefully plotted navigation through the layers of purchase options, and meticulous programming to ensure the security of the sales transaction. The work done on these two web sites is “all the same” just as a VW Beetle is the same as a Porsche: They are both, after all, cars.

Quality Costs

Some people suggested that this man hire “a college kid” to put together a site. I can’t endorse that, any more than I’d suggest hiring a “kid” to do your taxes for you. Sure, he’s gonna be cheaper than your CPA. And you know why.

True, a college student majoring in design or computer science will be less experienced than a professional web design firm, and might give you a serviceable site at a reduced rate. Why do you want such a site? You’re advertising your business, your livelihood, your professional reputation. Please, value it above putting it in the hands of an amateur.

Education Pays

This business man had not educated himself about Web sites. He didn’t know what they cost or why they cost that. He hadn’t sat down with a Web designer to discuss his business and his business needs. He hadn’t investigated on-line tools and templates for build-it-yourself sites (some of which can produce useful small sites).

I believe that if he met with one or two Web designers, or consulted with me, or even read a good book or two, he’d have the answers he needed to help him move forward. Answers that would include:

• A modestly priced site—“modestly” differing among business owners and their budgets—can pay for itself by bringing in just one or two new customers.

• If you want your Web site to project you and your business as professional, don’t hire an amateur to create it.