You heard it, folks. We’re no longer in the era of “Should I have a website?” but rather in the golden age of “How the hell haven’t you got a website yet?” And if you’re still out here playing hide-and-seek with the digital world, let me gently enlighten you, or rather, grab you by the shoulders and shake you into the goddamn 21st century.
Now, you might think, “I’m on social media. That’s enough, right?” WRONG! You see, your business having a social media presence is like showing up to a trade fair in your slippers. Sure, you’re present, but are you really playing the game? A well-structured, kick-ass website not only legitimizes your business but it also paves the way for stronger branding, more credibility, and an extra shot of marketing goodness…
Let me hit you with a bit of Brian Dean wisdom: “A website is your controllable piece of real estate on the internet.” That’s right. It’s the place where you get to call the shots, without worrying about Facebook changing their algorithms or Instagram going through another of its notorious down-times. You wouldn’t want your store to disappear without warning, right? Then don’t leave your digital shopfront to the whims of social media algorithms.
But wait, you say, “Getting a website designed sounds complicated, and I’m more lost than a chicken in a foxhouse.” Hold up. You could take the “easy” route and hop onto platforms like Upwork or Fiverr, but here’s where it gets sticky. Ever gone to the supermarket hungry? Everything looks appetizing, right? Well, that’s exactly what happens on these platforms. They’re filled to the brim with a wide range of designers, from Van Gogh reincarnates to abstract enthusiasts who can’t tell a call-to-action button from their elbow. It’s a minefield!
The general ethos is, “You get what you pay for.” And you can’t expect Rolls-Royce quality on a Rickshaw budget. More often than not, on these platforms, you find yourself sifting through mountains of proposals, each varying wildly in quality and price, until you’re left cross-eyed and cursing the day you decided to get a website.
Furthermore, while there are legitimate, skilled individuals on these platforms, there’s also a bunch of one-and-done mercenaries who couldn’t give a rat’s ass about your business goals, your audience, or the UX on your website. Their mission? To deliver a cookie-cutter website and bolt, leaving you stranded in the vast wilderness of the internet, without a compass or a survival kit.
And then there’s SEO – the magical letters that, when done right, can be your golden ticket to visibility on the world’s biggest stage, Google. I can hear you now, “SEO, more like SOS, right?” Well, if you’re playing roulette with freelancers on Upwork or Fiverr, then indeed, you might need a distress signal.
Listen, SEO is a long-term game, much like trying to bake a souffle – it requires careful planning, constant monitoring, and a shit ton of patience. It’s not something a $5 Fiverr freelancer can magically achieve for you overnight, no matter how many times they say “guaranteed first page of Google.” Trust me, the only guarantee there is you’ll want to throw your computer out the window when your website’s still languishing on page 100 three months later.
To quote Neil Patel, “SEO is a race, not a sprint.” It’s an ongoing process.
