|
By
John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)
"There is hardly anything
in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and
sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price
alone are that person's lawful prey.
It
is unwise to pay too much, but it is also unwise to pay
too little.
When
you pay too much, you lose a little money, that is all.
When
you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything
because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the
thing you bought it to do.
The
common law of business balance prohibits paying a little
and getting a lot...
It
can't be done.
If
you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add
something for the risk you run.
And
if you do that you will have enough to pay for something
better."
Written
over 100 years ago, John Ruskin's 'Law of Business'
definitely applies to today with the design and
development of Internet business systems such as
websites and Intranets.
With
websites costing anything from a few hundred dollars to
a few million dollars, it is easy for potential
customers to get confused when trying to compare various
website systems and solutions from different suppliers.
These
days a business website needs to be more than just an
electronic advertising brochure for your business.
Naturally, your business website needs to be graphically
attractive, easy to navigate and quick to load.
More
importantly, your website needs to offer real value to
users. It needs to be functional - that is, it needs to
enable and empower visitors to the site to DO things
that are of value to them.
This
could involve making business tasks and processes more
efficient or faster or less costly.
This
may result in the linking of databases, catalogues,
inventory systems or comprehensive relationship
marketing and communication systems to your website.
It
could mean offering new services that are only possible
through using the new technology of the Internet.
Perhaps there are products and services that you could
adapt or create to promote and sell through your
website.
Presenting
your company information on your website so that it is
interesting and valuable to your existing and potential
customers is part of the task. Collecting information
from your website visitors is another important aspect
that should not be ignored as your website can become an
incredibly valuable research tool for you.
Whatever
the purpose of your website, the design of your site
must fulfill and exceed the needs and expectations of
your customers. Remember, their needs and expectations
will be changing quickly as the Internet grows over the
next few years.
The
only thing we know for certain about the future is that
we live in a constantly changing environment -
especially when it comes to the Internet.
What
is good enough today will not be good enough for
tomorrow. Sooner or later, someone else on the Internet
will be trying to woo and capture your current
customers.
It
is already happening all around us, and it is naive and
foolish to think that any particular business will be
isolated from the threats of new Internet-based
competitors.
At
Beenleigh.biz, our focus is to help our clients identify
business opportunities and threats arising from the
Internet.
We
work with you to clarify and define your vision for
incorporating the Internet into your business. We plan
and prioritise cost-effective Internet business
strategies that are aligned with your corporate
strategies, goals and objectives.
And
we work with you to identify and plan for the resources
that will be required in the short and long term:
resources which could include Time; Skills; Content;
Software; Hardware; Money and People.
Then
we design, develop and implement the solutions - which
often involve building fully-functional business
websites which are integrated into your business.
As
you probably realise, a website can do far more than
simply be an 'advertisement' for your business. It can
be a valuable part of your business - and of tremendous
benefit to the various stakeholders in your organisation
such as your customers, staff, suppliers and
shareholders.
So,
how does all of this relate to the Law of Business? The
answer is to define what you need - and then expect to
pay a reasonable price for good service.
At
Beenleigh.biz, the prices we charge for our services are
fair and reasonable. Not too much and not too little. We
are rarely the 'cheapest' nor are we the most expensive.
We care about our work, and take pride in what we do for
our clients and our Community. We want to make sure we are always able to
provide the level of service and services required by
our clients.
You
need to be able to rely on the help, guidance and advice
from consultants and developers you can trust. And you
need to get what you pay for.
Price
will always be one consideration, but for the sake of
the future of your business, don't let price be your
main consideration when choosing your Internet
consultants and developers.
As
John Ruskin has written, if you pay too little, there is
a good chance that what you bought will not work for you
at all. It is often worth paying a little more to make
sure you are able to get what need.
This
is especially true when it comes to setting up a
business on the Internet >>>.
|
