In doing some research for a real estate company I came across many outdated websites which made me wonder what the heads of some of these companies are thinking...

Wilfred Pennyminder sits behind his great oak desk twiddling a feather pen in his hand.  His furrowed brow finds a way to inch ever closer to the rest of his wrinkled face like a black hole sucking in its surroundings.

“If these bunions in marketing bother me again with shelling out more scratch for the web site I’m going to go down there and conk them!  I just gave those ruffians three hundred clams a score ago!  Hogwash!” he exclaims to the stuffed form of a deer named Freddy on a nearby wall. 

In doing some research for a real estate company I came across many outdated websites.  When I come across an obsolete site my first thought (after that great theater plays through my head) is “What an outdated company.”  Then my second thought is “Why would anyone not want an updated website?”

Maybe they believe that their company doesn’t have a product or service that is web based, such as a machine parts manufacturing company, and thus don’t need to sell their company on the internet.  Perhaps they are thinking that they would have to dedicate too many of their resources to something they don’t feel will justify the cost or manpower.  Or maybe they’re just like my friend Wilfred and simply believe their old ways don’t need change.

Between the broken links and confusing layouts a stale website can make a company look as bad if not worse than one without a site.  No matter what business you are in you need an easy way for your potential customers or business partners to reach you and find out what makes your company better than the rest.  Unless your company is web based you probably don’t need to throw down fifteen large to sell spark plugs.  Still, if you spend some minor cash chances are whatever business is produced as a result of it will at least off-set the cost of the website.  

Awareness of course is the key.  People can talk about SEO until their mouths explode, but every business owner knows that the more people that know who their company is and what they do the better.  For every ten inquiries that miss the mark there’s one good business opportunity laying in the weeds. 

So if you’ve read this post and you find that you have a lot in common with Wilfred Pennyminder (although I guess if you are then you don’t surf the web very often and might not even own a computer) then please consider trading in your quail pen and carrier pigeon for a computer and a functioning website.