Missing the bigger picture can easily happen in today's fast pace, instant society. You've just started a business and need a website yesterday. Of course cash flow is tight. You go get some options. The quote from the professional website firm is doable, but more than you expected. On the other hand, you've got a friend or family member who said they could build the website in their spare time for free or next to nothing. With the thousand other things pulling at you, the friends and family option is chosen without much thought just because it's cheaper. Besides, a website is just a website, right?
The desire to quench the fire right in front of you is understandable and sometimes necessary. But experienced firefighters know that it's OK to let a piece of furniture burn in favor of saving the whole structure. Plus, chances are that even if you put out all the fires the furniture is still going to need replacing.
Websites built on favors in someone's spare time away from their day job can inexpensively solve an immediate need to just "get something out there." However, it's a penny wise, pound foolish approach for legitimate businesses. It's saving the couch and letting the house burn.
The fact someone is computer literate and may know how to use Dreamweaver or a few online tools does not qualify them to build your company's online reputation. Just because I owned a camcorder would you let me shoot your next TV commercial? If I build my own deck in the backyard, would you trust me to build your next storefront? Of course the answer to these is no. Serious businesses need serious help to grow their bottom line and reach their goals. Your company's online presence is not something to be delegated to someone who plays around with programming as a hobby. Plus, even if they can build you a website, does anyone know what to do with it next? The best website in the world is worth nothing if no one finds it.
Another major problem with the friends and family option is one that is often missed and involves the working relationship after the initial project. The good intentions of helping someone out may get you a website online for little to nothing. You may even get a decent looking website. However, your business needs will not stop there. Eventually you will want and need to make changes, updates and add new features. Assuming these are even in the programming skills of your volunteer, people often forget this isn't their day job. You are working on your business full time, but they are helping out a friend or family member in their spare time, remember.
Inevitably, these relationships fail. I understand 1011 Web is a professional website development firm, but I can say this unbiased because a good percentage of clients we help are at the tail end of these types of relationships. Your business needs will not stop. However, their spare time is limited and their patience for giving it away for little to nothing will stop. Work will begin taking longer and longer to get done. You will start hearing more and more excuses. Reaching them by phone or email will become increasingly more difficult. We see it over and over again.
We run a business just like you do. We understand budget constraints and the need to keep expenses low. If you've already taken the friends and family road, then I hope for better in your case. But if not, I hope you will pause from fighting fires for a brief moment and not miss the forest for the trees. Whether you sell products, services or both your online presence is not an expense line but another major revenue generating piece of your business. Make some budget adjustments and work with someone who has the qualifications to legitimately meet both your short and long term goals. I'm sure Bubba won't mind getting to keep his spare time.