Dont Judge A Business by its Website

Whoever coined the expression "you can't judge a book by its cover" was spot on. And it applies to most things in this world- including websites.

When I was driving into work today I was thinking about some of the website's I've come across lately (yes, it's true- I live and breathe my job) that provide no indication of the characteristics of the business behind them.

Historically, we were able to judge whether or not a business was doing well by a neat, well branded office in the right part of town. But consumers and competitors no longer use physical signals as a means of measurement. These days we tend to profile by website.

But you really can't judge a business by its website (although in my opinion, you should be able to- a website should ideally be an accurate reflection of the organisation's branding and positioning in its industry as it's often the first place people turn to for information about an organisation/its products/services).

It probably has a lot to do with the industry that I'm in, but in a day and age where the global population spend such a huge percentage of their time on the internet; it always shocks me when I see a successful company with a website that could be doing so much more for them (and while I won't name names, it happens all the time).

While a shabby-looking website might be a poor effort or lack of strategic direction on some organisation's parts; it's interesting to note that it is sometimes part of the strategy. And the buying experience should always be factored in. Some organisations hide the fact that they are doing particularly well because they try to maintain a "discount" or "affordable" appearance in order to reach the target audience they are aiming for. For example, which tends to have the better website- supermarket or luxury car? Most would say the luxury car, but it's more than likely the supermarket website was more expensive. Again, you wouldn't expect a company selling a low-end household product to have a flashy website. By appearing low cost they appear more inviting.

Furthermore, many people are of the opinion/ perception that online retailers should offer cheaper prices, as overheads are so much lower, and some organisations attempt to maintain this perception. For example, discount hotel websites often offer "last minute" or percentage off rates on rooms. The reality in this particular situation however, is that if you walked in off the street and asked for the lowest rate, in most cases you would get the same price. Hotels who participate in these deals are generally particularly happy to match the "discounted" rate, as these websites charge a percentage referral fee.

It can sometimes even be risky to judge a business by its website. Some crooks spend the time and money to set up an impressive website as part of a scam. It's always worthwhile doing the background research before engaging in any business transactions with an unknown online retailer.There are multiple sources of information from which you can learn about organisations outside their websites. Social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter; blogs and Google News are a good place to start if they don't have a "clients" or "affiliates" page.

Whether or not the online environment plays a significant role in an organisation, the boys upstairs should recognise its importance. While we shouldn't judge a business by its website, most people do.