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Basic Digital Business and Marketing Costs – The Reality vs. Perception
Today’s marketing technology is so amazing that clients can be fuzzy on what’s possible and what it costs. As a reality check, let’s walk through some of the top requests we get.
Make me a viral video or photo
We are frequently asked to provide this. If people could just order it like a hamburger, don’t you think everyone would be “going viral?” So much of viral success is plain dumb luck.
While viral sharing doesn’t cost anything, putting together the video or graphic image does. It starts with thoughtful planning, then professional shooting of the video or photos, and finally creative editing into a shareable product. Ownership of and experience with professional tools can streamline the process, but it’s still time-consuming. A one-minute video is easily an 8-10 hour investment.
Build me a passive income machine
Since a website is active 24/7, it is absolutely possible to “make money while you sleep” with an online shop. We’ve had people with a business idea ask us to build them a site like eBay or Facebook with user logins, credit card interfaces, and all the other functions. Then they are astonished at the cost estimate, forgetting how many full-time employees it takes to create and run websites like that.
There are, however, many already-built products available that you can use to create online stores. Yes, it will cost you licensing fees, and you may need to hire someone to configure an off-the-shelf website for your needs, but it’s astonishing how comparatively little it costs for the technology available to us today. A well-thought-out business plan will tell you if your ROI can support your start-up costs.
Write my blog posts
Blog content on a website is important for branding, credibility, and search, so overworked business owners often look for help writing that content – and they don’t want to pay too much. But remember that you get what you pay for.
A writer unfamiliar with your industry will need to spend time researching your industry. If you aren’t providing search terms from marketing research you paid for elsewhere, you will need to pay for it now so that the blog posts are properly optimized. And if you want personalized stories about your business philosophy, your employees, or your products, you will need to provide that information as well.
Make my email marketing successful
Email is still a useful marketing tool, but it requires a whole lot of preparation and a subscription to the right delivery service. You’ll need eye-catching graphic design, well-written content, and knowledgeable analysis for fine-tuning delivery. You’ll also need a great list of appropriate email addresses. If you don’t already have a list, building one is an additional effort and expense. An email campaign sounds simple, but expect a lot of strategizing to do it successfully
Pump up my cheap website
After years of seeing advertisements for “free” websites, plenty of folks are shocked when asked to pay for hosting, add-on functionality, or upgrade fees. Technology changes fast, and there’s a cost to keeping up with the changes.
Upgrades are needed to keep bad actors from hijacking your website or to keep different parts of your website working together. Functions you want on your site that are not standard will cost extra to add and support. Also, while some website platforms do not charge for hosting or domain name, in return you may have to put up with ads on your site and an unprofessional domain name.
It may seem like these trade-offs are worth it when starting out, but as your business matures, it can get expensive fast to make your website mature as well. As you outgrow the free website, you’ll want to start over with a more professional platform, so plan ahead for that.
Technology has grown exponentially, and maybe we’ve all become a little blasé about the amazing things our businesses can do online. Digital marketing and online business options available today were out of reach to all but the biggest corporations just a few years ago. Costs are way down, but there are still costs. By working together, business owners, content creators, website builders, marketing professionals, and all the other supporting players can be partners in each other’s success.
Sprocket Websites is one of those partners. We are experts and we work with other experts for our clients’ success. Have website needs? SEO questions? Ready to boost your digital marketing? Contact us today to get the conversation started.
Photo by Kindel Media
This article is an update to “Website Marketing Is Easy…Until It Isn’t” dated 6/6/2016.
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Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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