If you are looking at having a new web site developed or re-designing your current site there is a key choice to be made before picking up the phone.

If you ring a web developer (or your nephew, or the neigh boughs son who can do it cheaply), chances are you will ask for a web site that does “A, B and C” which the developer will swiftly provide you with exactly that – but will it work?

If you ring up an online marketing consultant or agency chances are they will say “hold on a minute, let’s just make sure that A, B and C is all you need, because actually E and F could make a significant difference to how much business the new site will generate for you, and have you also considered how it will all fit in with the rest of your off-line business etc”

The second option might sound scary and expensive but actually these days a 3 page template site all on it’s little own probably won’t do anything for your business (and of course the main point of a web site is that it helps generate business). And would you rather pay £x today and gain no return from it, or perhaps dig a little bit deeper and pay £y which will give you the full package and really help grow your business?

The good news is that we here at the eChampions programme and help you with the advise at no cost to your business (because you can have a fully funded place) which can put you in the driving seat to ask the right questions when you do ring up the developer.

But, for all you developers out there, perhaps it is time to stop and think about what you do? Perhaps it is time to move away from being “dinosaur developers” just turning out websites that the customers ask for (and you typically shake your head at because you actually don’t agree anyway) and re-position into something a bit more “big-picture and higher-level” with a focus on making sites for people that will really work long term?