Does Your Website Pay for Itself?

When we meet with a prospect, we often ask: “What problems does your business have that a website can solve? More often than not, the response is something like, “Well, I was hoping you could tell me.” 

Everyone acknowledges that they need a website, however, many still believe that a website is not much more than a digital billboard. We know it’s much more. It’s your…

  • first impression
  • major credibility factor 
  • problem solving machine
  • extra salesperson
  • friendly receptionist
  • email marketer
  • full-time networker
  • customer support

If you sell things or hold events, it’s your ticketing agent, cashier, inventory control manager, scheduler, event coordinator, and publicity agent. 

If you think you can’t justify the cost of a professional, custom built website that solves your customer’s problems — think again. What you save in man-hours proves you can!

For example, according to digital.com, a basic informational website is $2,000 to $8,000 with very little customization. A website management firm will charge for domain name transfers/renewals, hosting fees, responsive layouts, built-in SEO, favorite icon design, images, secure shopping carts, SSL fees, selling fees, monthly email marketing campaigns, multiple-managed social media posts, and content and software updates. These, and a well-written monthly blog, add up to another $5,000 to $12,000 a year. If you pay for these services monthly, the cost per year increases from $500 to $5,000. 

So consider this: the salary for a marketing manager with digital savvy who can write and code is about $40,000 – $60,000 a year. In our Florida market, our customers pay an average of $6,000, plus $300 – $600 per month for maintenance, blogging, email marketing, social media services, and SEO. Amortized over 5 years, that’s $550 a month. 

Now think of your website as a member of your sales team, or the head of marketing, or your outside salesforce. If built and maintained well, your website can save tens of thousands per year, pretty much enough to hire that extra sales or marketing pro to close the deals the website brings in.