People would never buy a $2000 used car thinking they were getting something “just as good as a new Lexus.”
They’d never buy a $25 clock radio at Wal-Mart thinking they were getting the equal of a $15,000 Bang & Olufsen system.
No one would spend $150 on a painting made in China, figuring it was the investment equivalent of an original Picasso.
What’s my point? People do this sort of thing every day in purchasing websites.
Websites built on $50 templates, $39.95 off-the-shelf Content Management Systems, made in India for $395, or with do-it-yourself programs are NOT the equal of a custom designed, professionally built website. Not for the search engines and not for the visitor experience.
So why do people do it? I believe this is the fault of marketers themselves.
Most businessmen have spent big bucks repeatedly for websites (or other marketing services) that were going to be the greatest thing since sliced bread and instead turned out to be more like moldy crusts. A big disappointment to say the least. Under-performers, delivered late and over-budget.
Marketing companies for decades have carefully explained to their clients that there is no way to measure the effectiveness of what they do.
Is it any wonder that people rebel? If you’re going to waste money, it might as well be a small amount. Maybe you’ll get lucky. Is it any wonder, given the abysmal track record of most marketers, that people take action into their own hands? They can’t do any worse!
I’m not actually trying to convince you NOT to purchase our services.
There IS such as thing as PROFESSIONAL marketing.
The problem is telling when you’ve found it.
Unlike most industries, there’s no easy simple way to tell.
If you go to a Lexus dealer, and buy a vehicle with 0 miles on the odometer, with Lexus on the nameplate, you know you are going to be getting a reliable, well-engineered prestige car.
If you buy World Series tickets from Ticketmaster, you know you won’t be turned away at the ballpark because your tickets are fake.
This is a problem peculiar to service professions. How do you know if a lawyer is a good one? An accountant or a financial adviser.
Oh yeah, most financial advisers turned out to be incompetent.
Do what you have to, to establish you are dealing with competent, professional marketers.
THERE IS SUCH A THING AS PROFESSIONAL MARKETING.
IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.