Working Web Sites

by Kathy Sparks

 

Having a web site is becoming an essential part of doing business in today's world. Having a web site is a great first step. Making that web site work for you by promoting it and continually improving it will give your business a welcome boost.

Often, important factors are not fully investigated and considered before jumping into the process of choosing someone to build a web site, how it will be maintained and by whom. So many times the "web designer" builds the site but when it comes to getting the updates and changes that are needed, it may take days or even weeks before the "web builder" gets to the project. This costs time and money on the part of the web owner. Web designers sometimes can be "purists" who build absolutely beautiful, expensive sites, but because of their focus on perfection, they don't have the time to keep the sites they build dynamic and up to date. They may also be reluctant to turn over the editing and updating to another person because of the exposure of 'ruining' their creation. Don't forget, you own your web site.

I submit that for a web site to work for you, it must be easy to edit and have someone maintaining it who can provide quick turn around at a reasonable price. It is important for that person to see the whole picture of the business the web site represents. We want to be able to use creative ideas and keep the site dynamic and progressing, adding and deleting items as necessary, having a web site so interesting that people have a desire and need to return. 

You must weigh what is more important to you, perfection or the ability to keep the web site dynamic and updated as your business continues to grow. If you are experiencing excellent design and good maintenance, then you have a real find and should keep it.