In the early 2000’s, few businesses had a website.
Back then, a business could hire any web designer that threw around technical jargon and made big promises. Competition on the web was scarce, so driving business was easier.
Back then, websites were sold to business owners as features and benefits.
Google was young, and their ranking algorithms allowed for spammy practices.
Digital marketing for businesses was like a gold rush in the wild west.
Websites were a hot, new technology and they were purchased without full understanding of what they were for or where they were going. The worst part about all of this is that it worked. Some businesses followed unauthentic marketing tactics to drive sales. They ranked on Google, had lots of website traffic, and convinced people to buy.
Now as we fast forward to 2021, the old model doesn’t work anymore. Google and business websites are established. Most businesses have digital competition, and potential customers are looking for websites that stand out. If you’re trying to drive sales, simply just having a website doesn’t work anymore. People are looking for trustworthy organizations, and they judge businesses by the look and feel of their websites at first glance.
One way to try to solve this problem is by having a pretty looking website with questionable marketing tactics to manipulate the Google Algorithm. That would mean ranking on Google Search and getting in front of eyeballs, but it doesn’t guarantee they will trust.
Most of our clients and their customers really want the website to be a unique story. The website is meant to serve the business’s target audience, not put the business first. The real winners are those who are making a difference by serving others digitally. It means creating an experience that’s meaningful for their audience, not just meaningful to an algorithm.
