Why Do Business Owners Undervalue Websites?

Business owners undervalue websites and it’s baffled me for over 15 years. Why do owners make their websites a lower priority than other aspects of their business? Almost as though it’s an afterthought when it should be their most important marketing tool. 

They clearly care about other elements of their business.  They spend time and money to get vehicles wrapped in elaborate graphics, buy company apparel to promote their business and make improvements to their physical location. 

Why is their website different? 

It gets seen by many, if not all, of their customers.  It’s THE face of their business online.  It should have the highest priority as it’s usually the first contact a potential customer has with them.

Business owners have no problem telling the different between a new vehicle and a rusted-out pile of junk.  If they were building a house and it had no doors and crooked walls, they wouldn’t be happy with the contractor.  Why can’t they see bad quality when it comes to their website?

Why no interest?  

If an employee showed up to work in dirty clothes, they would say something.  If their shop had a broken window or piles of garbage lying around, they would do something.

Is it because websites are commonplace? I’m old enough to remember when websites were a new thing and not all businesses had them.  Now, it’s considered a “must have” item yet, they are often forgotten.

Working theory

Business owners love their logo.  When looking at their website, they often have tunnel vision and only see their logo.  If it’s big, the rest of the site doesn’t matter.  We came to this conclusion after 15+ years of designing websites where the most common request was to “make my logo bigger.”

Could it really be that simple? Yes, it can.  Maybe the reason doesn’t matter.  What I will say is that owners need to do what’s best for their business and that’s investing more resources to improve their website. 

Why should you care?

Because everyone searches online for products and services.  Because your website is the first contact most people have with your business.  Maybe the most convincing argument is that Google cares and they dominate the market.

Even if you know little about Google and how its algorithm works, you should know that it’s constantly evolving.  That means your website needs to evolve with it if you want it to perform better.

Everything updates!

Think how often you get notices for updating your phone, an app or program.  It sometimes seems to be an endless process especially when the update has an update. Well, why should your website be any different?

If you got a notice to update your website after every algorithm or browser change, you’d be doing it on a weekly (maybe daily) basis.  But you don’t, so it falls off the radar. That doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done.

Undervalue websites lose money

If your website looks unprofessional, doesn’t work on phones, or has outdated information, people leave and don’t come back.  Not only have you just lost a sale; you have probably driven them to a competitor that has a better website.

Think about your customers

What’s the best reason to make your website a priority?  To offer a better user experience to potential and existing customers.  The longer people stay on your website, the higher the chance that they contact you.  

It just so happens that Google rewards websites that offer a great user experience.  In addition to being beneficial to customers (and your business), you’ll also be making Google happy.

See?  Making your website a priority leads to good things all around.  It’s one of your greatest assets and you need to start treating it like one. Contact Sleepy Dog Media for solutions for business owners who undervalue websites.