Webmaster Papers








Website Value - Whats Your Business Website Worth?


If you were asked to put a value on your website what would it be? Perhaps you paid a small fortune and commissioned a top design agency to build it. It would still be worth at least what you paid for it, right?

It's a sad fact that a great number of websites are worthless. They give no value to their owners and are little more than a drain on resources. Would it surprise you if your website was classed as one of these?

The World Wide Web is made up of millions of webpages so it's not surprising that many are rarely seen by human eyes other than their owners' and creators'. These unfulfilled webpages are like trees in a forest. They can make as much noise as they want, but if no one is around to hear it then who is to know they ever made a sound? Too many of those that are seen by people are poor at encouraging progress through the sales cycle i.e. they don't persuade the reader enough to progress to the next stage whether that's submitting a sales query or making a purchase.

So how have you determined the value of your website? Have you only taken into account its cost to build and maintain or have also considered what it actually does for you and the value it adds to your business? Ask yourself this question, if you were to put your website up for sale, how would you convince a potential buyer that it was worth the asking price? Would you sell it on the basis of how much it cost to build or on the strength of the benefits it brings?

Do you think owners of expensive luxury cars are motivated by how much they cost to build, run and service or because of things like the prestige they give the owner, the superior performance and higher levels of comfort? In this context, it may be easier to recognise value and worth, but when it comes to your website can you do the same? If your website provides you with no measurable benefits or is a tree in a lonely forest then how can you be sure it's worth anything?

Suppose we're comparing two very different websites; one cost $10,000 to build, looks very impressive, but converts poorly, generates little interest and the other cost $1,000 to build, wouldn't win any design contests, but consistently generates fresh leads and converts a high percentage of prospects into customers. Which of these websites do you think is worth more?

Now ask yourself again, what's the value of your website?

William Lee is the proprietor of Web Star Creations (http://www.webstarcreations.co.uk), has a BSc degree in computer science and a background in blue-chip IT systems.

RELATED ARTICLES


Learn What 98% of Targeted Visitors Do On Your Website
Getting a Targeted Visitor to a website is a waste of time and money if you've got no idea what 98% of them do when they get there.
The Most Important Aspect of Writing Web Copy
There is an ongoing debate about web copy. Some say that it should be similar to direct mail copy. Others state that is should be written in a more editorial, news offering style. However, both styles work. Both styles generate thousands of dollars of money for the website owners. Why is this?
Let Your Customers Redesign Your Website!
When you purchase a new item from a Yahoo! Store, you are asked if you'd like to provide feedback on the transaction. About two weeks after the initial purchase, an email from Yahoo! Stores shows up, asking you to provide feedback for the vendor. Whether your experience was good or bad, the opportunity is probably seized more often than not by customers.
UK Online Shopping with an Edge, for Buyers and Sellers Alike
Any new website competing on the internet, needs to take its business seriously, as there is so much competition around. So, there needs to be an edge on quality, content, and general user appeal.
Website Imperatives and Solutions
When you take a look at the most visited sites on the internet, what hits you in the face? Change, growth, new content. In a sense, a search engine is the perfect web site. By it's very nature, it grows and changes continuously and moment by moment adds new content. But, most of us are never going to build a Yahoo or a Google. The competition at that level is horrific.
A Website Is Not Enough
Your Objective
Making Your Website Shine! Attract and Keep Visitors at Your Site!
When you consider the billions of individuals and companies on the net who are attempting to influence visitors with their wares, it is vitally important that your site offers something out of the ordinary. An important fact to remember is that what the site says is far more important than how it looks. Why? Because good copy sells!
Ecommerce for Beginners
Like most average persons, I wanted some extra money to supplement my regular income. I had considered a part time second job at times, but hated that option because it would take me away from the family, make me more tired and probably just pay minimum wage. I also wanted to be able to work from home.
I Want To Be A Freelancer
So you have decided that you want to do freelance work. You have done your homework and have developed your skills in HTML, PHP, CMS, and a slew of other applications. Now you are ready to start your new career. So how do you get started? Without clients your business is non existent. So how exactly do you build your business and find clients. Below are just a few key elements to help you get started.
Developing State-enabled Applications With PHP
Installment 1
User Interface Design: Key to Achieve Best Web Development
From early days of www, the Internet sites that are added day by day are increasing tremendously. When you will consider this pool of web, may be they are about computers, industry, entertainment, search engines, fashion, organizational or even individual, all of these sites are concerned about one major part of web development apart from the logic or programming efforts behind it is 'User Interface Design'.
Web Accessibility Myths
With more and more countries around the world passing laws about blind and disabled access to the Internet (including the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK), web accessibility has been thrown into the spotlight of the online community. This article attempt to put a stop to the misinformation that has been thrown around and tell you the truth behind web accessibility.
Getting One-way Inbound Links: the 5 Major Strategies
With search engines putting a damper on direct reciprocal links, the hunt for the elusive one-way inbound link is on.
I Did It: Six Months to a Successful Website
For years now I've been looking to start my own business, but my highest priority has always been to spend less time working, and more time with my family, while still giving them everything they need (and most of what they want). It's a common dream, right? No boss to answer to, less stress, more vacation, more quality family time... I wanted to get away from the 9 to 5 and the traffic. (I bet you do, too.)
The Secret Benefit Of Accessibility: Part 1 - Increased Usability
Web accessibility has so many benefits that I really do wonder why such a large number of websites have such diabolically bad accessibility. One of the main benefits is increased usability, which according to usability guru, Jakob Nielson, can increase the sales/conversion rate of a website by 100% and traffic by 150%.
Traffic for Webmasters
"If you build it, they will come"; is an age old phenomenon for webmasters that they develop the website and visitors themselves would visit that. This may be true for only a handful of websites but the most important and crucial topic for any webmaster today is to how to get targeted traffic to his website.
Using Psychology Easily on Your Website to Make More Sales!
Psychology is a long word which everyone thinks, "no, that's not for me, it'll be too difficult". Apart from being lazy, anyone who thinks this is wrong. Applying psychology on your website is easy and extremely effective. Also, the fact that most webmasters take the lazy view of applying psychology gives you the edge over your competition.
Getting a Web Site Can Be Fast, Easy, and Inexpensive When You Know Your Options
So what do you do if need to get a web site but you're not sure how to go about getting one. The good news is you have several options. To help determine which option is best for you, ask yourself the following five questions:
Making the Most of Your Website: Start with the Basics
One of my most salient memories from when I sold real estate in Oregon for my Dad's company was listing a property where the owners had initially tried to sell it For-Sale-By-Owner with no success. After the listing contract was signed my Dad told them, "Next time put your phone number on your sign."
The 2 Most Common Web Site Mistakes
When we review the sites of potential clients, there are 2 mistakes we see over and over. If you are having problems with your site, make sure these 2 problems aren't killing you.