Having a company website is fabulous. It opens up a whole world of digital autonomy, creativity and income generation possibilities. The building and maintenance side can also be very cost-effective thanks to “ready to go” platforms and templates, of which Squarespace is probably the best known.
But that doesn’t mean your team should have one.
Like a puppy, a website isn’t just for Christmas. It needs regular care, has long-term costs, and needs someone to act as primary caregiver.
The internet is littered with long-forgotten domains and subdomains, and I’m sorry to admit that I have commissioned and managed several of these fallen soldiers myself. But it wasn’t in vain: here is a quick checklist to help you decide whether you’re ready to bite the bullet.
(1) Why do you need a website?
Super basic, but a good first port of call. If you can’t explain what you’ll be doing on this platform that’s different from your other channels, or the main reason is because “everyone has one”, then it’s worth holding off a beat. Your content may also be better suited to a channel you already have. For instance, a lot of folks I have worked with wanted a website so they could publish job vacancies – but there are loads of great options through LinkedIn and other platforms, so why spend precious time and cash? Just a thought.
(2) Will you publish good content consistently?
A website longs to be used, and search engines reward you for publishing (good) content consistently with a better ranking. So, before sacrificing your brain cells and budget, consider how regularly you will realistically be able to publish your desired content (and whether it is good website content). Which leads us nicely onto…
(3) Who is going to take care of it?
Nine times out of ten, website projects flop because teams don’t have capacity to manage their website in the long-run. Website maintenance doesn’t have to be the person’s full-time job (although it is a full-time job if you do it properly), but nor can teams just “see how it goes” – it’s a poor use of everyone’s time and makes the website sad. So, be crystal clear about who is responsible for it, and make sure they have enough time to do it.
(4) Have you factored in domain renewal, hosting and maintenance fees?
Often we only consider how much it costs to build a website, but there are a myriad of costs behind a fully-functioning website. These include hosting fees, payment to use that domain name, and for a human to regularly check-in on your website’s health. Make sure you have factored in all these costs for the years you expect to be running it, and that you have the cash earmarked for that before setting off.
