Current challenge: Convincing customers that cheap Websites = crap

[Miles Archer]

Excerpts from two articles I posted on Facebook today (sorry, didn't keep track of the links):

Maybe the developer that would charge $100 sees the request as a simple one that deserves a solution that, at a minimum, qualifies as a ‘simple website’. He’ll scratch together 15 minutes of time and have a few html files ready to deliver the client. Done.

Many Web hosting companies offer free template-driven tools that allow you to select a boilerplate design and customize it with your text and photos. You can easily customize a homepage, and a page that describes your offerings or products. These template designs are extremely limited in what you can do with them, but they do provide a quick and inexpensive way for a small business to develop a Web presence.

The downside of using a template design tool is that it is the online version of using clip art. Many savvy Web surfers will recognize your site as a cheap template presence, with that knowledge clouding their attitude toward your company. Template design tools are often included in Web hosting packages that typically cost $250 to $500 each year, including a number of email addresses.

Trouble is, price shopping still rules in certain segments of business and as Jeffrey Gitomer once wrote "Cheap bastards are also a pain in the ass."