The phenomena of pay per click Google listings is far from new, but it begs the question that has been on the tip of my tongue for some time now, where do we go from here? It is understandable why pay per click systems have been so effective, and continue to be so. It is a very real, quantifiable means of getting results, and for small local businesses, especially with the development of Google's (Regional and Local Targeting) system, it is a very exact financial way of targeting specific clients.

You may ask therefore where I see a problem, and the answer is two fold. Firstly, as more small companies are getting online, the competition for industry specific words and phrases is rising. This obviously allows Google to push the prices up, allowing less 'clicks' for your budget. Moreover, many small businesses, due to limited marketing funds, have websites based on templates and these are often sub-standard. Templated sites have their uses, but they need to be used as a base only, and allow for a more bespoke design to be implemented whilst maintaining low costs. This has the effect of pushing potential clients away. When Google AdWords brings up a list with both large and small companies a problem arises, John Smith's electrical goods store on the local high street comes up next to Currys website worth tens of thousands of pounds. As usual, the independent shop loses out. It also begs the question, who is clicking on your link? No matter which industry your company serves, competitors are always looking for ways to improve their market share. It is very probable that they often keep a firm grasp on the products and services offered by their competitors, companies they find through Google. So the real question is are the people clicking on your link potential customers, or indeed your competitors?

So what is the future for small businesses? In my opinion, there are three key elements to consider. Firstly, small businesses need to realise the benefits of investing in a good website. So, big surprise, a web developer arguing for better websites. The reality is though that every year more money is spent online. According to stats, 86% of web users browse for goods and services, with 61% of homes having access to the web. Around 53% of all adults within the UK have bought something online within the last year. The evidence speaks for itself! Small businesses do not have to spend thousands of pounds on websites. They are becoming increasingly affordable, and as such should be used to their maximum potential.

The next stage is to make the most out of search engines. Adword specialists have the ability to manage campaigns effectively and reduce wasted money and time trying to beat the 'big boys' by just boosting the amount of money bid for key words. Adword professionals constantly update and evaluate a campaign to get the most out of each budget. It does not necessarily need to take a lot of money to get to the top, simply the use of a professional who knows how to get the best results for you.

Another alternative is to use Local Directories such as Yell.com and Touchlocal. For a minimal set amount, local directory services guarantee a number of contacts through their site to you every month to the extent that if you do not get the hits, you do not pay the fees. While similar to AdWords, this service is restricted to local businesses in the sense that each area would need to be paid for individually. Smaller companies can benefit from local customers who are genuinely interested in their services. And if they really wished to push the budget for a maximum return on their investment, a smartly designed flash banner can be bought under any keyword for the entire year. Though the risk of not getting any hits is there, if the keyword is cleverly thought out, there is no reason why many clients cannot be directed to a website over the course of the year, a worthy investment.

Effectively, the benefits to small companies of pay per click services are decreasing over time as demand for AdWords increases, and the supply stays constant (there are only so many ways of saying 'electrical supplies'). The only way of truely benefiting is to let Google Professionals manage your campaigns and achieve the reults that the rest of us would struggle to get close to.The only other alternative is a Local directory service, which has a potential future in an increasingly overcrowded market.

Labels: cheap marketing, google, pay per click

Ok, so it sounds very impressive, and well… it is, if it’s done properly. Imagine a website that is a cross between Facebook, E-bay and Amazon and you will have an idea of what I mean. Now imagine owning one for your business. Sound exciting? Now imagine paying for one. Ah, not so exciting. Well, not necessarily, because this, over the last year or so, has become a very viable option for many businesses. When you consider that for an increasingly large proportion of companies, the internet and online shopping has become a key element of success, it begins to make a great deal more sense to those who believe they too could benefit.

I was speaking to the Managing Director of a garden centre the other week and he said, ‘I suppose it’s just like getting a new delivery van or something, perhaps it is a necessary investment.’ Well yes and no. Do I believe websites are necessary investments? Obviously. Do I believe it is just like spending money on a new delivery van? Not really. Of course, much like a van, a website adds value to the company itself, they are both assets. However, a van cannot directly make money. An e-commerce website can.

We had been discussing the expense of some websites now available, and I had gone into advice mode and was trying to be as helpful as I could. The prospect was for a fully bespoke e-commerce CMS, a site, which if done well, could allow for an exceedingly advanced site. The marketing components available on the home page alone would be more dynamic than most available online today. The proposal for the site was certainly impressive, and in the past, only the very top businesses could afford this kind of functionality for tens, if not thousands of pounds. He had been offered the service for a very reasonable price and was still questioning it. What I tried to explain is that the site could in fact increase turnover by a considerable margin, and perhaps pay itself off very rapidly over the first few months. In the end, I believe they decided it was too much of an expense.

I have often found this within the industry and at first it baffled me profusely. Now I believe the issue is that a website is not tangible. You cannot feel it or hold it. Unlike a car you cannot sell in it unless it was to another company of the same description. For people with limited experience in the web, I believe that they cannot grasp its financial value and the revenue it could generate. While this option is definitely not appropriate for many companies, a bespoke e-commerce CMS is a viable possibility for many small to medium sized businesses who would benefit, especially at this early stage, from a website their competitors lacked. Yes, they are still expensive, but much less so than ever as smaller web agencies have developed the skills to produce very effective sites. In the long run, I believe all companies will move in this direction, but for now, those who take up the opportunity could benefit by being one of the first.

Labels: CMS, e-commerce, Expensive websites, Websites

You may or may not have heard the term, ‘brochure website’ or know what it means, but having viewed countless sites over the years, and I do mean countless, it appears that many web designers do not. A brochure website is exactly what it says it is, a means of showing off your company, products and services. Why do web designers insist on producing the garbage that consistently seems to be regurgitated? Many web developers use template designs using Microsoft Front Page. A word of advice, don't! It's rubbish!

I have a theory, and it might upset some of you, but this is my opinion as someone with many years of experience in both marketing, strategy and web design. There are two parts to why we believe so many websites are designed at a substandard.

Firstly, many freelance web designers are simply techies with coding skills but almost no design ability. Any good web agency will have two unique teams, a creative team and a development team. After all, do you really think that Henrik Fisker and Ian Callum (who have been responsible for creating many of the latest Aston Martins and are currently, the Director of Design at Fisker Coachbuild and Jaguar respectively) built the engine for the dazzling DB9 as well as designing its sleek shape. Of course not, they are qualified Industrial and Vehicle Designers and leave the engine design and development to more qualified people. Just as if the engine specialists at Aston Martin were also the designers, then the DB9 may have looked a lot more like a Ford transit.

Secondly, web designers are all too eager to please their clients. Now do not get me wrong, clients should and do come first. They know their businesses and have often a strong idea about what features they want to appear in their own sites. However, they all too often decide they know what is best for the design of their website. When I bought my car (you might have worked out I have a bit of an obsession by now) I did not go into the dealer and say I like it, but can you change the design? Yes by all means ask for a different colour scheme and ‘optional extras’ such as a call back facility, but far too often do clients forget that in most web design agencies, the creative team is made of professionals and qualified experts, or at least should be.

Freelance web developers need to begin outsourcing design work, and clients need to pay more attention to the people they hired to do a job. If these things happen, then hopefully the future of web design will not be so grim.