It seems that Main Street businesses can’t catch a break.  Personally I have been involved with small to medium sized businesses for the greater part of my career.  I have been through most aspects of the cycle from downsizing to fast growth. Whatever the reason, small businesses need to see that the internet is now the #1 form of advertising. If you are not on board, your business may quickly fall behind.

Currently, as a business owner myself, and with the primary focus of Yelling Mule on helping Main Street businesses become successful online, it has been very disappointing to see the options and tools that are available to the largest grouping of businesses. Most are asking for help, and finding out that what they are getting is not what they paid for.

When I first started designing web sites it seemed that there were only a handful of options to the business owner; design a site and get it online… basically, “build it and they will come”.  When it came to the internet and websites, there was a lag when it came to small businesses adopting new methods, they took the longest to catch on and some industries fell apart by not accepting these new methods fast enough, like the newspaper industry.  Small Businesses have been hurt by the economy and are now playing catchup in the up-swing, but the “build it and they will come” mentality has long since passed.

Web companies that opened and were good back in the late 90’s are now large modernized marketing/development firms, leaving businesses to fend for themselves while pursuing the larger price tag companies. What’s left? Freelancers, build-it-yourself sites and young companies that do not provide you with the all around service that larger companies focus on. A site is NOT a good site unless it is profitable and produces returns. Producing a high returning site is like putting together a puzzle and requires knowledge of business, strategy, design and development. I know this because here at “The Mule”, we are constantly learning and striving to provide the all around service that can make your company successful online (and staying ahead of the game is very, very time consuming).

In today’s market when it comes to website solutions there are a few options that owners see as affordable.  The key is that what is affordable is not always what is profitable.  Understanding that difference is what will help you sift through the multiple options and find a solution that will ultimately profit for your business and avoid becoming a bottomless pit of changes and expectations.

What have your experiences been as a business owner with Web Designers & Web Companies?