If you are going to start up a website, are you really giving the message that you are serious about what you are doing? Or, does your website give the message that you are more “playing around” on the web, or not too serious about what you are doing?
Frankly, a lot of people’s sites give the impression that they are not really on the web to be serious or make money.
Hey, I am not against having a personal site that is mostly for fun. Don’t take me wrong. However, when you are setting up a site that is primarily a business site, you need to give the impression that you are a serious player who has a website for serious business.
Yesterday, a friend of mine sent me a link to a new website. The website in question was the website of a businessman who is endeavoring to set up a site for serious business people. He is trying to recruit “Senior Executives and Ambassadors” to join him in launching a website for serious business people. OK, no problem there. However, down on the bottom of the site, there is a message. It says:
Create a free website with Weebly.
OK, look, I don’t have a huge problem with having a website on one of these “free website” platforms like Weebly. However, not a serious business site, and particularly not a site where you are trying to attract “Senior Executives and Ambassadors.” I mean, for $5 per month you can set up a website on your own leased web space. The fellow already had his own domain name, so the cost of that (only $10/year or so) is not even a consideration. Why not spend $5 per month to show that you are a bit more serious and remove the spammy “get a free website” message?
So, if you are looking at starting a business website, why not buy your own domain name, and get your own web hosting account, and then you won’t have to advertise free services like this fellow is. For me, that is the professional way to go!
Awesome!! Now I am going to go start a free website on weebly. Thanks for the tip Bob. 🙂
Ha ha… good one, Darin! Speaking of websites…. I just went to yours, looks like you are making headway there!
Thanks, I am slowly figuring out how to edit the code. Trial and error sort of thing. It took two weeks to fix the last error though. 😀
Hi Darin – Keep it up! That’s how I learned code too, by trial and error! It works, if you are willing to stay the course!
Another totally free tip (I see this ALL the time here in the Philippines)is people using a Yahoo or Google email address. It just doesn’t look businesslike or serious.
Most people I have mentioned this to will counter with the ‘but it costs money for your own mail server’ excuse.
Yes but, you can have a Google mil address of ‘[email protected]’ right from GMail, free for at least the first 5 or 6 addresses.
I’ll see multi-billion pesos companies putting out official contact information with a ‘subject @gmail.com’ address and I am just struck by the negative vibes it gives … especially when there are totally free alternative.
You know, there are thousands and thousands of competing companies that sell greeting cards, but people all over the world will probably know the one company I am talking about when I mention their slogan,
“When you care enough to send the very best”.
That slogan (and philipsophy) has been selling greeting cards and many other products for HallMark since 1944 (even before I was born!!!). It works because it’s every bit as important in today’s market as it was 66 years ago.
Care enough about your prospective customers/clients to make yourself look ‘the very best’ for your first impression.
Ha ha.. quite funny that you should mention about the “free e-mail” services, Dave. That was my planned next article, as a tie in with this one.
The thing that I really cannot understand is when a company has their own website with their own domain, but they use the free e-mail! For example, let’s say that there is a company called “Bob’s Plumbing” and they have a website at “bobsplumbing.com”. But their e-mail is “[email protected]”. They already have all they need to set up “[email protected]”, so why don’t they?
I know when I register my domains with godaddy they give the option to create an email account with the domain name. I think it is about $5 per month for 10 email addresses.
Actually, Darin, you don’t even have to get the email account option! If you get a hosting account and put up a website, the mail account is free as part of a hosting package! The e-mail account is only if you are going to park the domain and not use it.
I though I am the only one doing the trial and error. In fairness I am learning everyday. Pratice makes perfect as what they said. I will just practice I will not aim to be perfect.
Hi Mar – I have been following your progress on your site! It seems like you are headed in the right direction, and I wish you good luck with that! I think all of us learn code by trial and error to some extent!
Take care.
Thanks Bob,but still it is a convoluted process, still.
Keep it up, Mar!