website cost Archives - Page 2 of 2 by Mark Murnahan

Where Does Marketing Talent Come From?

Is there such a thing as natural ability in marketing? Some talents seem to come from birth, but like developing any talent, it takes time and hard work. Talent comes with a cost.

Marketing Talent Comes With a Cost

There is a hidden cost to marketing talent that is often difficult to realize. Whether you are hiring it out or trying to develop marketing talent for yourself, it has a cost … often a huge cost. So, where does marketing talent really come from, what is the cost to get it, and why are marketing talents not all equal? Allow me to explain.

Talent is Better with Practice

I have been fascinated recently with the 2010 Winter Olympics. The athletes are amazing, and their talent often seems humanly impossible. What makes it possible is a whole lot of passion, determination, and practice. Passion leads to determination and determination leads to practice. Passion and determination do nothing without the follow through of relentless practice. Apolo Ohno even crashed a few times before he went on to become the most decorated USA medalist in Winter Olympic history, but he kept practicing.

Maybe you have a talent that you are passionate about. Think about that talent you developed through passion. Maybe you went to school a long time for it, and maybe you practiced it long enough to get really good at it … best of all is practice. Can somebody else do it as well as you? If they can, they probably practiced more.

Marketing Talent Takes Risk

It was when I heard Bob Costas and the other announcers talking about Olympic athletes having similar DNA to race car drivers and other risk-takers that my ears perked up. I started thinking about the risks people take, how they calculate risks, and really how little most people are willing to risk. With minimal risk, there is minimal reward. Come on, we all know this, and it is true of everything from leaning in for the first kiss to becoming a huge success at something.

Here is a way I can relate to risk. I race cars. In fact, I race cars very well. Driving is something I am passionate about. It is a talent that I have worked on for years, spent thousands of hours practicing, and hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to master. I also teach drivers what they need to know about driving. Imagine that. I get in a car with another driver and teach him or her how to go faster … fast enough to kill us both in an instant! Yes, I’ve got balls courage. I have courage the size of an aircraft carrier, but I have something else. I’ve got talent. The kind of talent that only comes from a whole lot of practice. That practice makes me just a little more immune to risk with each lap.

A common saying at a race track is that there is no such thing as natural ability. Oh, there may be some natural propensity (like good eyes and good reflexes), but the talent comes with practice. Really amazing talent comes with thousands of hours of practice. This goes for Olympic athletes, race car drivers, and yes, even marketers.

Good Marketing Talent Minimizes Your Risk

While knowing that each practice increases immunity to risk, I think about how much risk most people are willing to take in their business. Most businesses try to reduce their exposure to risk at every opportunity. They mop up the Vaseline spill in the doorway, they remove the balloon filled with broken glass hanging high above the atrium, and they buy insurance in case it all goes wrong. Doesn’t it beg the question of how they could logically reduce the risk of failure in their marketing efforts? Yes, I think that makes sense, too.

When you look for marketing talent and you wonder what you are paying for, remember this: Good Marketers Already Took the Risks. That means they already know what does not work, and they have the experience to know how to help you avoid doing the same. Not only that, really good marketing talent comes from the people who not only had a strong propensity to good marketing and passion for the work, but they have put in the countless hours of hard work, research, and practice … like the Olympic athlete or the race car driver.

Expensive Marketing Choices

When you consider developing marketing talent, consider your passion, time, and willingness to take risks. If you are passionate about your marketing but lack the time it takes to learn to skate like Apolo Ohno, drive like Emerson Fittipaldi, or market creatively like Pablo Picasso. Stop and consider the risks you could mitigate by sitting in the stands while the real marketing talent rounds the track for you. Be aware that you are paying them for the talent they developed with passion, determination and practice. You pay them for the risks they took that were a bit too ballsy courageous for your liking or your budget.

Do you want to go fast? You must decide carefully which risks to take, and it can be a lot less risky to hire somebody with marketing talent than to develop your own. After all, are you more likely to hop in a race car to create the show for everybody else or stay home and watch it from the safety of your sofa? Either will have a cost, but one takes a whole lot of time.

P.S. Here is what it looks like when I drive. I will leave out the failures it took to get there.

Internet Explorer Creates Mass Unemployment

In a recent release by the Washington D.C. Centers for Unemployment Research, a study of unemployed Web developers revealed that over 68 percent were able to directly attribute their job loss to the widespread use of Internet Explorer. It concluded that adoption of Internet Explorer factors heavily in job loss within other industries outside of only technology during the years from 2007 through 2009, but particularly hard-hit was the ecommerce programming sector with up to 73 percent. Further, the study revealed that in nearly each instance, they had also failed to flog, berate, and publicly out their friends and family members who were known to use Internet Explorer.

In a more extensive study, the recently released Institute of Computer User Studies, United Kingdom Report (ICUSUKR) showed that the cost of Internet Explorer usage to business has reached an all-time high. The ICUSUKR concluded that even if you spell it out carefully, Internet Explorer users were up to 78 percent less likely to grasp basic computing concepts, including the “Any” key and other Internet-related tasks.

Does Internet Explorer Really Cause Job Loss?

Well, maybe, but I made that all that stuff up. It is a joke, but let us just look at this Internet Explorer for a moment. Internet Explorer creates such an excessive burden to the Internet public in areas of security, functionality, and design that if Toyota was to launch the next Internet Explorer, it would likely take all the heat off for their stuck throttle cables. I think General Motors and Bank of America should have rolled with something like this ages ago.

If you doubt me on the importance that you stop using Internet Explorer, please see the article on BBC News: “German government warns against using MS Explorer”. Seriously, watch the video on that article!

In any case, you probably wonder how Internet Explorer could contribute to unemployment. After all, that is why you clicked, right? I will break a couple things down for you. Let us first examine these geeky factors of cost to business. Yes, business … the ones you count on to put food on your table, and the ones you buy your stuff from. They all suffer from this Internet ailment.

We all understand that the Internet is where marketing and business takes place, right? If you deny that, get off my blog straight away. You do not belong here. Did you see what I write about?

Excessive Cost of Internet Explorer to Business

Programming Cost of Internet Explorer – When you hire a programmer to handle all of those tedious tasks of making your Website work just how you like, programmers and designers have this little calculator in their head counting all of the episodes of 24 they will have backed up on their DVR because they are busy making your site work with complete cross-platform compatibility. In simple terms, they have to count up how much extra time it will take them to fix all of the little buggy stuff Internet Explorer will do to their Web-Standards-Perfect masterpiece. Maybe you thought we use Microsoft Word to make Websites, but if you just click here, you can see what programming code it takes to make just this one measly page you are looking at. A few screwups there and you have yourself a broken Website that will not perform in Google, or get you those massive orders you were hoping for. Internet Explorer makes it a huge pain in our asses, and guess who pays for that? Yeah, companies. Companies that are already stretching every dime to put bloated junk code out there instead of doing things right … the way companies should strive to do business.

SPAM Cost of Internet Explorer – In comes the SPAM. Yep, SPAM! Since you did not flog, berate, and publicly out your friends and family members for using IE, they picked up a little something for you. They sent it in their email. It was the cutest thing, and you just had to pass it along.

You just sent your Website programmer and designer (along with all of your pals) 84 pieces of email about getting a diploma without going to school, 127 pieces of email offering cheap luxury watch replicas, and 363 offers for Viagra and Cialis. This is because when your friend’s computer was hacked, it spread like a virus. Exactly like a virus!

Yep, viral marketing at its best! You didn’t even have to participate, really. They had your email address in their infected computer and that was enough to make you even more popular. Just not in the “panties on your head singing the school fight song” way you used to seek popularity. All the same, you are popular now … be happy!

I know you may still be sore about all the time it took you to download that last AOL update, but please take the time to download a more secure and faster browser that uses Web Standards such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

RELATED ARTICLE: “How Much Does a Website Cost?”

Hire a Web Developer and SEO

How often have you said to yourself, “I need to hire a Web developer”? My guess is that it is not something you do every day, unless you are in the business. I suspect that the question of hiring a Web developer or hiring a search engine optimization (SEO) professional is relatively foreign to you, so allow me to help you.

When you shop for commercial real estate, the experts will tell you that the three most important factors are, in this order, 1.) Location 2.) Location 3.) Location. As for the building itself, some of the considerations are size, features, accessibility, ammenities, legal issues, etcetera. The cost will also be a factor, but if you get these basics right, the cost is a hurdle that you will make every effort to leap.

These principles of location (SEO), size, features, accessibility, ammenities, and legal issues hold true in Website development as well, so before you hire a Web developer, you should consider how they will address each of these matters.

Hiring a Web Developer: Website Location

I am surprised how many people think that because somebody can find them online by searching for their company name that it is enough. These people are missing the whole picture. If your company name is Bob’s Bait Shop and somebody Googles that, it is only because they knew you exist. That is not how marketing works. The only way to be successful online is if people who do not know you exist can find you. In the instance of Bob’s Bait Shop, Bob needs to be found when people search for worms, or stink bait, fishing lures, night crawlers, minnows, fishing rods, and boating supplies. This is what I mean by location of your Website, and it is very seldom to find a need for a Website that cannot benefit from a good location on the Internet. Hiring a Web developer, alone, may make it possible to Google your company name, but it will not likely set your cash register ablaze.

Web Developers and SEOs Are Not The Same

Just because somebody is a Web developer does not mean they have a clue about SEO. Also, many SEO professionals will know how to develop a Website, but it is not really their cup of tea. If you consider the hourly rates of Web developers or SEOs, there is generally a huge contrast, which explains why SEOs will generally stick to their area of expertise. They are both important to your Internet marketing, but I have found that too seldom these two experts do not play well together. It is common that the Web developer / Web designer is more concerned with aesthetics and layout, whereas the SEO’s job is to be sure that enough people will actually see the Website. These two divergent concerns often have technological conflicts, and if they are good at what they do, they will likely have big egos to preserve. With practice, they can get along, and once in a while, they can even be found in the same person or company. When you make the leap to hire a Web developer, you will be wise to find one that understands SEO, but it is even better if you find them in the same place.

How To Find a Web Developer and SEO

A sad fact for many people seeking to hire a Web developer is that they will go with the first referral from a friend who says “I have a neighbor kid who can build a Website for you”, or they know somebody who has a full time job but does a little freelance work on the side. You found my blog, so you can likely understand the difference between the professional Web developer and SEO and the kid who just unwrapped his new copy of Dreamweaver. As for the freelance guy with a day job, why isn’t he doing this full time from the comfort of his pajamas if he is really good at it? Your best answer is more likely to be to find a Web developer using Google. A Web developer with a good search engine ranking and a good looking and useable Website will normally suggest that there is the capacity to do the same for you. It is often comfortable to hire a Web developer in your general location, but I do a lot of work for companies far away from my location in Topeka, Kansas.

Hiring a Web Developer: Legal Issues and Liabilities

This is an area where I am often dumbfounded. I have been shocked on many occasions to be contacted by companies trying to resolve the ownership of their programming code, content, and even their domain name, because they hired an inexperienced or unethical Web developer. The concerns of legal and liability issues when hiring a Web developer should not be taken lightly. You should review their contracts carefully, and if you have questions, pay an attorney to review it also. If they offer you a “handshake deal”, run away, fast. There is good reason for a clearly defined Website development contract, and it will benefit you to understand it before signing it or paying a deposit.

Web Development and SEO Related Blog Posts

I have written many blog posts relating to hiring a Web developer or SEO, and I hope that they will help you to find your next Web development company. I would like my company to be the one you choose, but in any case, I want you to find this information useful, above all.

The Money Fairy is Coming January 2009

Many businesses of all sizes and industries had a sharp blow to the budget in late 2008. This should not be a shock to anybody who has seen the news recently. Fear not, my friends, for the money fairy will be making Santa-like deliveries in January 2009. At least this seems to be the consensus of business owners and managers that I have talked with and read about recently.

I have operated businesses for decades, but I have never seen such a confused view on business and economy as the past quarter. I have had many conversations with brilliant people in many industries, and without fail, they all seem to project a brighter outlook in January 2009. With this sort of bright outlook for January in the shadow of their bleak view in December, I have to question where they get their information and inspiration.

I reflected on the balance of logic and emotion in the marketplace in my recent article titled “Recession Marketing: Choosing Logic Over Emotion“. Since that article, I have had opportunities to hear from others and I want your input.

Is There a Money Fairy?

I will share my experience, and I would love to hear from you and know if your experience is similar.

I fielded extraordinary numbers of requests for proposals for new Website development in December. In fact, it was a big rise from the past few months. In an attempt to move the market to swift action and even out our scheduling, I offered anywhere from 50-70% discounts for them to take action yet in 2008. This produced many seemingly earnest answers from respondents, but the overwhelming majority was willing to pay double the cost for the same work in January. Some of this was surely a put-off by people without the financial means to take action, but some was not. I have spoken with many other professionals in my field as well as other industries, and what several of us concluded is that there is a “money fairy” coming. This is the only way we could reconcile the wasted opportunities to save huge amounts of money and spend more money a very short time later to receive the same thing.

Are You Waiting for a Money Fairy?

I want to know your take on this. Do you believe in the money fairy, or are companies really scared enough to waste time and money by waiting for greener pastures in January?

Author Mark Murnahan is the Chairman and CEO of YourNew.com, Inc. and provides SEO consulting services to companies and non-profit organizations. Mark Murnahan may be reached toll free at 866-A-Web-Guy (*REDACTED DUE TO AGING WEBSITE*) for consultation.

How Much Does a Website Cost?

“How much does a Website cost?” is very often the first question I hear from a prospective client. I have answered this question in so many ways over the last decade that I get a chuckle remembering some of my answers.

If price was truly the primary concern, every Website would be free. A quick Google for “free website” returns well into the hundreds of millions in results. There is surely a reason that I still have a job. So why do so many people still ask me the question: “How much does a Website cost?”

Whether you are a prospective Website purchaser or a Website developer, an answer for the question of how much a Website does or should cost is just a Google away. If you Google “How much does a Website cost?“, you will find that the query will return tens of millions of results. With this many people either asking the question or offering their answer, the question becomes very confusing. So what is the missing link?

Fortunately for you, I have your answer, and I will tell you how much a Website should cost. My answer may not be exactly what you want, but if you will take just a few minutes to read this article, I believe I can save you a lot of headache and help to clarify this sensitive topic. What I hope you will get from this are the matters that lie beneath this question.

I did not lose you yet, so clearly you either have a reason to know the real cost of a Website, or want to know how to answer this question for your clients.

Website Developer vs. Website Purchaser

We do not have to be enemies. When people ask how much their Website will cost, it is easy to let the whole relationship go sour and take on a feeling of haggling at a used car lot. For just a moment, let’s try to look at this from the two respective points of view.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: The Client’s Viewpoint

I am a Website developer and search engine optimization guy, so I am trying to keep bias to a minimum, but I think I get it. If I am even partially correct, please give your comments below.

As a prospective customer, it is very reasonable to want to know how much something will cost. A very common view of the value of something is how much somebody is charging for it … the price tag is what determines its value. When there is not a set price tag, it is easy to be a bit skeptical about it, and to question the methods or motives of the seller. Certainly, most of the things you shop for will have a price tag. There are not a whole lot of things for sale that do not have a defined cost, so it is not unreasonable to ask how much your project will cost. Skepticism is the easiest defense, so it makes sense to keep pressing for the answer.

I believe that the legitimate question of cost is placed first for many reasons. Some of these are as follows:

The client wants to know “Are you out of my league?” or “Can I afford your services?”
The client wants to have a ballpark idea of the cost to expect, which is very reasonable.
The client has already asked around and has an idea in mind, and wants to compare.
It is the first thing on their mind, and the best ice breaker.
They just want a “simple Website” and it should be easy to price.

Addressing these from top to bottom, I would suggest these points to consider.

Are you out of my league?: I find that most people looking for a Website can afford most developers. The question really becomes how much of their time you can afford. Generally, just a little bit of a good developer’s time is worth much more than a lot of a bad developer’s time. There is not much room for error in a competitive market, and avoiding errors is imperative.

Ballpark Website cost: Seeking a “ballpark” idea of cost seems reasonable, but there are many ballparks to consider. Playing fields vary greatly, and Comiskey Park is a lot different from a neighborhood sandlot. Connecting the analogy to you, consider Comiskey to be reaching a global audience and filling the bleachers, and the sandlot a way to tell your friends and family about yourself on your new Website.

Some developers will have a strict minimum project, but other developers are capable and willing to help you play ball on either field. The latter is often your best asset, so you should hear them out.

Shopping around for rates: This is a reasonable reaction to any market. A reasonable skepticism should be held while hiring any professional. The unfortunate challenge here is that all things are not equal. In fact, nothing is equal here at all. The same cost will produce different results with different developers. If any two Websites were created equal, there would be two number one positions in Google. If any two developers were created the same, somebody is cloning more than just sheep these days.

Most people will agree that the dentist advertising a “cheap root canal” or a heart surgeon offering to trade for services is a little bit scary. No two developers are created equally. You will never see the same results from two developers. This notion is as statistically significant as the number of developers.

The Best Icebreaker: Price is a great way to get started, but the question is always deeper than just that. If price was the primary concern, every Website would be free. A quick Google for “free website” returns hundreds of millions of results. There is surely a reason that I still have a job.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: The Web Developer’s Viewpoint

When this question arises, the developer often has a feeling that price is the primary objective, and the purchaser anxiously awaits an answer they can live with. If the question of cost is not answered upfront, the client’s perception can become that of the Website developer holding out their answer while they sum you up to see how much money they can squeeze out of you. A tragic end to this dilemma is often that the Web developer will give the wrong answer. The wrong answer can hurt both parties, and it is wrong however you look at it.

As a developer, I sincerely want to answer the questions of cost, but the right answer usually requires more input than a client wants to offer. I know that if I do not give some answer, my prospective client will not hear anything I say, because all they will hear during my consultation is the sound of a cash register. When I have done my job well, and I explain all of the benefits they will receive from my work, it should sound really costly. After all, there is a lot that goes into doing a job right. If all of my work sounds like a trip to Wal Mart for a garden hose, I have let the client down because I did not give them the information they deserve to know about my work and the Website development industry.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: The Perfect Website

If there was ever a perfect Website, most of us could agree that Google is the one. Google is clearly the biggest and greatest resource on the Internet. Some people would say Amazon is the best, from a retail standpoint, and some would choose eBay. The fact is that if any one of these Websites was the perfect Website, the project would be all done, and they could fire their staff and save millions of dollars in Web development cost.

If you think a Website is ever fully completed, you may be looking at it from an item viewpoint. That is to say that you just want a Website to have a defined stopping point. This is often the kind of site used to show off a “Home”, “About Us”, “Services” (or Products), “Testimonials”, and “Contact Us” pages. If this is you, I will enjoy talking with you because this is very simple work and I will happily make you an offer anywhere from $29 and up. Even the $29 cost will include a content management system to allow you to very easily update your Website and it will include a really pretty design. This is a fine solution for some companies, but it should be clear that this is a minority. Even plumbing companies and ditch diggers are finding great benefit from the ability to collect payments online, manage project data, simplify requests for proposal, synchronize Quickbooks with their Website, manage their client relationships, and much more.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: A Simple Website

Every viable developer has a Squillion potential clients who ask for a “simple Website”. When you say “simple Website”, the clear and obvious question from a proper and studied developer is “if you want it so simple, why are you asking me?” Although a miserly approach can be beneficial for some companies, the fact is clear that even then, there should be a consideration of tomorrow. Your Website development should never be seen as an open and closed book. You will need the service again in the future, and if you choose well early, you will be better equipped to rise above the wave and achieve happy surfing.

Cost of Missed Opportunity: A Case of Bargain Shopping

One case of bargain shopping that I am still vexed by is a local association of Realtors. This is an organization that has spent many thousands of dollars on Website development over the years, and still has a huge problem. They are very aware that the statistics agree that over 90% of new home purchases begin online, and they are quite convinced that they have a strong need for my service.

The present iteration of their Website was produced after I declined their business a year and a half ago because the budget they had in mind would have actually caused an upfront cost to my company greater than they were willing to spend. The budget discussed at the time was less than the cost of a 1985 Honda accord with 250,000 miles on it, and I am not exaggerating! It would have actually cost me more in the first 30 days to take the account than they were willing to pay in a year. They are now on their fourth version of the site, and they have had regular committee meetings for over a year to determine the best approach to their needs. I have been informed by multiple members of the committee that it is agreed that they want to use my services, but they still have to clear it with the board. This is a prime example of the cost of missed opportunity that can come from delaying the inevitable and simply doing things right the first time.

Another horrible scenario of hiring the wrong developer is the company who is hit with a claim of copyright infringement. This is described in my recent article, “Image Copyright Infringement and Enforcement“.

How Much Does a Website Cost?: Beating the Jones’

The bottom line of Website development cost is that what you spend on your Website will always be outdone by one of your competitors. If you do not think outside the box and make every attempt to use what your developer knows to your advantage, what you spend may be wasted. Having a bright and resourceful Website developer in your corner is an asset that defies the simple questions of upfront cost, and deserves a close look at the relationship opportunities between you and the developer.

The cost of a Website is a burning question that is on the mind of nearly every first-time Website buyer. Many times, the questions are much different after a miserable failure in hiring the right Website developer. I have countless clients return to me after hiring the wrong developer with a clever sales pitch and a bargain basement price.

Set a Website Budget

Avoid the pitfalls and set a budget. You will be much better of to set a budget before you start shopping, and share that budget with your prospective developer. This is not a secret, and it will serve you well to share it with your developer. When you do this, you can use your time shopping with a much better angle. With a budget, you may ask developers how much they are willing to give you for the money you have to spend. Make the budget reasonably flexible and be willing to hear the developer’s ideas without concerns that they are trying to upsell you and scam you. If they know you have a budget, and the amount they have to work with, their brilliant ideas will often be more to your benefit than theirs.

Tell the Web Developer Your Budget!

Hiding your expected budget is like going to a realtor and saying that you want to buy a house and hiding your budget. If they do not know your budget, they can show you homes all day but you will both be spinning your wheels and never get anywhere. You may think Website developers will try to get all the money they can from you. This may be the case, but if you have it in your budget, do you really want the Website developer to short-change you and offer you less than their best offering? It is common that the level of work you will receive grows exponentially with the amount of money you are willing to spend. Also, if the developer feels like they are getting a great deal, they will have much more incentive to give you all of their best work. I, for one, love to show off for my clients, and if I have enough budget to “WOW” them with my work, it serves me to do so, because they will refer others to me because I was so awesome to work with.

Keep your Fingers Crossed!

Until you spend enough time to fully learn any trade, the professional will always have the upper hand. As long as this is the case, you are much better off by appealing to their sense of pride in providing the best work for your money. A budget will always set a parameter to equalize the field. Then, every developer has your guidelines in mind for impressing you with their skills.

Website development is not unlike any other profession in that it pays to hire the best and most reputable and work forward from there. The big disparity in Website development is that it is an unregulated industry where every joker with a computer can build a Website. Cost should be a secondary concern, and become a consideration of not only today, but what you want and expect long into the future.

Please feel free to contact me at my direct line, toll free, 866-A-Web-Guy (*REDACTED DUE TO AGING WEBSITE*) to answer questions, vent your frustrations, or to build you a fantastic Website.