All over the web there exists awful corporate websites. Ironically, tech companies, even web technology companies, or even web development companies, have awful websites. Ours is no exception. It looks decent, but at the end of the day it’s a WordPress website and it has its quirks. Gross!
Here’s why we decided to use it:
- Got it up and running very quickly
- Saves an immense amount of time and thought in functionality buildout
- Looks good enough
- Aids in our ability to acquire customers via some easy to plug in functionality
Part of the problem with web development is that it can be infinitely complex. One can dither and argue about the most esoteric, useless, and frivolous design and architecture particulars forever. However, there comes a point where action must be taken, even if it’s not the best solution. I’ve seen many businesses never even get off the ground because the task of building a website was so daunting. It doesn’t have to be that way.
I love good websites. I love responsive / mobile friendly websites. Every business should strive to have a great website. It makes the web a better place. But here’s the hilarious meta thing about corporate websites: some of the most successful and profitable companies on earth have the WORST websites. Take this one for example. This investment company is wildly profitable. Just look at what Bloomberg had to say about it. For a mere $25 USD per month, they could have a far better site with HTTPS, responsiveness, decent design, and more. But yet they don’t. Why? Because they’re already successful. They don’t need it.
The same goes for Berkshire Hathaway, whose website is notoriously retro. This company represents one of the greatest success stories of all time in American history… And their website is GIMPED!
My message to you as a business owner, and to all of these successful companies, is to please, do your business a favour: get your website situation in order. It’s not necessary, but it’s just the right thing to do. And now that codeless website builders have hit the mainstream in terms of cost effectiveness, ease of use, and features, now is the time to take advantage of what’s out there. If Wix and SquareSpace are running superbowl ads (which they just did), you know that having a decent website is now common practice. Step your game up!