Web Sites Off the Rack
By Sandy Tapper
The other night I saw an IBM.com commercial offering a Web site for just $499. As an Internet marketing and Web design consultant, I immediately went pale as I thought about the impact of such competition on my own business.
When I visited IBM's Web site, I relaxed a bit. The $499 price included only three Web pages, six months of hosting, and a choice of design templates.
Then I read a news item announcing NBC Interactive's partnership with Bigstep.com, a provider of Web template services for small businesses. After discovering that Bigstep.com Web services are mostly free, I started hyperventilating. But further evaluation revealed that its templates were graphically limited. "Besides," I said to myself, "who wants a Bigstep.com logo on every page in exchange for a freebie site?"
However, as a marketer, I'm always preaching the gospel of knowing your competition. The growth of Web template sites is making it easier than ever for business owners to establish an Internet presence on their own. You may have already had customers ask about some of the template services being advertised. Such services can be limiting, but Web professionals should know what template vendors offer.
Cutting Patterns
Those who are making their first foray into the Internet have several options for creating a Web site: hire a Web designer or consultant, learn to design it themselves, or use a Web template service.
The template approach is just what its name implies. Select the colors and theme of your Web site from a menu, indicate the type of pages you want, write your own copy, perhaps add some photos or graphics, click on a submit button, and voilý, you're live on the Internet in a matter of minutes.
