Business Learning Center

It’s sad to say, but some of our best clients are those who come to us immediately after they had a disappointing experience with another company.

Almost invariably, they tell us the same story: They chose their previous company because they gave them the lower bid on the project or the fancier sales pitch. They thought they were saving money, or getting something more but ended up having to spend far more in the end than if they had gone with quality to begin with.

I’d love to say that we close the deal on every client we pitch. That’s just not the case. Frequently we are under-bid by companies making promises they have neither the talent nor resources to deliver on.

More than a few times, we’ve had the same clients back in our offices, months later, asking us to fix the mess their previous company got them into.

As we preach: For every dollar you spend on a site that brings your business no value, you lost far more than those dollars and your time. You lost out on missed opportunities. On the other hand, if you spend $1,000,000 and it brings you three times that amount in new revenue, then you have made a very smart investment.

A lot of time times, small businesses make the mistake of focusing exclusively on price, rather than return. One lesson they can learn from larger corporations, is they ask – what will be my return on this investment?

It’s not a question of “how much am I spending?” It’s “what am I getting for my investment?”

“The $100,000 Ferrari vs. the $50,000 Hyundai”

Business, especially on the web, is a race. You must get to the front to get noticed – to get more visibility on the web and more exposure to new audiences.

If you want to win a Formula 1 race, do you want to be behind the wheel of a Ferrari or a Hyundai?

Don’t get me wrong. Hyundai makes great cars, but they are not designed to deliver the highest level of performance.

An economy car will get you to the mall, but it won’t let you cross the finish line first at Monte Carlo.

2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia list price @ $279,000

2009 Hyundai Azera list price @ $25,000

The same thing can be said of websites. Having the web equivalent of a Ferrari, or a fast car, means you come out in front of the race. It means you will gain more recognition and more clients.

Anyone can build a cheap website that looks presentable, but it takes a sophisticated design and marketing team to deliver a site that will take your business to the next level.

In the digital age, a company’s website can make or break a business. A great website enhances a company’s brand. It attracts new clients and serves current clients. In the case of an e-commerce site, it can represent a company’s largest source of revenue.

A site with poor design, bad navigation, insufficient calls to action, and lacking in compelling content can not only damage a business, it can destroy it. Sadly, many senior executives- especially ones who were in business long before the internet revolution- don’t quite understand this.

They are willing to invest in all other aspects of their business, but fail to make the proper investment in the design, development and marketing of their websites.
Many web design and marketing companies prey on businesses like this. Unfortunately, anyone can call themselves a web designer or marketer. Anyone can call themselves a social media expert.

When choosing a web design and development and online marketing company, do your homework. See who their clients are. Find out what kind of results they delivered for their clients. Did their sales increase? Did they gain greater exposure on Google?

What kind of credentials do they have and recognition have they received? For example, Blue Fountain Media was awarded a Five-Star rating from Dun & Bradstreet for outstanding work and quality service. The rating was based on a blind survey of Blue Fountain Media’s clients. This carries far more weight than selective referrals or testimonials.

At Blue Fountain Media we are very proud of the work we do. We have the highest level of expertise in all services we offer. We deliver the highest quality projects in a timely manner and do so at remarkably reasonable prices.

The result is that we have a client list that looks like a Who’s Who of major companies. We have delivered significant positive results for our clients, many of whom have come back to us for multiple projects.

Our experts have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, SmartMoney, Crain’s New York Business, Crain’s B to B and many other publications.
We like to think we offer $279,000 Ferrari service for $100,000, while many of our competitors offer $25,000 Hyundais  for $50,000. They use puffery to inflate their prices, while we use streamlined processes to deliver terrific work at remarkably affordable prices.

Of course, quality work requires time, effort and expertise. All of these come with a price tag.

But, when the future of your business is on the line, would you rather have your website and web marketing driven by a $100,000 Ferrari or by a $50,000 Hyundai?
You’d think the answer to that one should be easy.

At Blue Fountain Media, we would be happy to talk to you about your business, your web projects and your marketing projects. Please give us a call at 212.260.1978 to get started.