Will I Get My Website Money Back?

Recently I met with a prospective client to discuss the pros and cons of redesigning their website.   The current website was not working and the discussion revolved around, was it time to do something new or stick with what they had.  Could their IT guy build them a new website or was it time for a professional?

During the discussion,  the office manager posed the question to me,  “If we do spend the money to get a new website, is there any guarantee I will make my money back?”.

Good Question.

Obviously, there was no way I could give her a firm guarantee, but here was my answer to her question.

1. Users were complaining about the website. They had received many comments that the site was hard to use and even the phone number was hard to find.  Fixing the website would fix this problem and make them easier to do business with.  There is no telling how much business has been lost or could be gained because of this issue.
2. They were non-existent in search engine results. The current site framework was not good for SEO work,  part of our discussion involved converting the site to a more search-friendly platform.  They would go from no search traffic to attracting search traffic.  Again, no telling how much business/ traffic has been lost because of this issue.
3. The site was not getting updated.  The current site could only be updated by the developers and the queue for updates was usually six weeks.  The current design left few spaces to post updates, they were having trouble figuring out where to put things.   They have plenty of content, just no where to go with it. Instead of posting to the website, they were relying on email blasts to get new information out.  Websites that are updated frequently will attract users and search engines.  They had done the hard work of producing the content,  now they needed a website where the content could be used to benefit the business.

Next time someone approaches you,  wanting to re-do your website.  Ask them our question, “Will I Get My Website Money Back?”.  See if the designer is able to give you a rational answer and don’t let them get by with a bunch of marketing-speak.  Make sure you understand the answer, and if it sounds like a great business strategy, then its time for a new website.