Why pay for a Ferrari when a Honda gets you where you’re going just as well?
And just as fast, if you’re obeying speed limits, stop signs, and the like.
We’ve heard that tired, old line applied to everything from mattresses to Web development to, well, cars. And though the comparison makes sense in some cases, it’s mostly pretty silly. Hondas and Ferrraris are meant to do two very different things. Once you get past “four wheels and an engine,” they have virtually nothing in common.
When it comes to Web design and development, the car comparison works if you view your website as a tool meant to help you achieve a business goal, much like a landscaper might use a truck to help their business.
In comparing trucks, our landscaper might choose between a $20,000 pickup truck and a dump truck that might be three times the price. Why would anyone consider the additional capital expense, to say nothing of the added maintenance and fuel costs?
Well, if the bigger truck means your crews save 20 percent of their time hauling materials to project sites, and another 10 percent of their time not filling and emptying wheelbarrows, the dump truck might pay for itself in 6 months or less. That makes the bigger up-front costs begin to look like a bargain.
Meeting Website Marketing Goals
The same holds true for your website. Even a modest investment can get you a site that looks good, presents your business professionally, and probably even works well on mobile devices and desktop computers.
A larger investment, though, is likely to yield a greater return on your investment over time. Features like gated content and calls to action can help you attract and measure generation of new leads. Strong analytics can help you determine what interests your audience and where to focus your marketing. A flexible structure will let you adjust the site easily as you gain more insight into your customers’ needs.
In other words, rather than evaluating your web design and development options based on cost alone, consider how the site will meet your website marketing goals. A more expensive site may be able to generate a larger return more quickly.
There are businesses for which the “pickup truck” version of a website makes the most sense. The only way to determine whether the larger investment will help you meet your website marketing goals is to define your goals and talk to a developer with a marketing focus who can help you create a plan on reaching those goals.
That planning is the key to making your website a productive part of your marketing toolkit, and ensuring that you reach your website marketing goals.
Ferrari Image via Shutterstock
Love me some car analogies! Well said!