Small Budget, Big Impact: How the Right Website Pays for Itself
Do you have a small organization that provides a valuable service or sells wonderful products, but few people seem to know about you?
According to recent research compiled by Forbes, there are currently more than one billion websites, a new website is created every three seconds, and 29% of business is conducted online. Unsurprisingly, 43% of small businesses were planning to invest in improved website performance because 48% of internet users' first perception of business credibility is determined by their websites.
These statistics emphasize the importance for all organizations to have a well-designed and optimized website for reputational credibility, industry thought leadership, and opportunities for returns on website investment, either through increased grants and private donations for non-profits or online sales for businesses.
A professionally designed website is essential to achieving those goals. For smaller organizations concerned about the cost of developing a website, know that one can be developed affordably and deliver a solid return on investment.
Develop a Minimally Viable Product and a Budget
Having a great website is an investment, but not one that smaller organizations need to make all at once. Think about scaling the development of your website in stages over time as an effective way to manage your investment.
If you’re starting from scratch, ask yourself, “What is the minimum viable website presence I need to get started?” This approach can spread out the expense of a new website and speed up the potential to convert visitors into customers or donors.
Also consider the cost of ongoing website maintenance, and whether you should outsource the design and development or keep it in-house. If you lead a smaller organization, you may not have the capacity or the staff resources dedicated to optimizing your online presence and driving revenues.
Develop a twelve-month website budget to manage your estimated annual expenses and new sources of revenue. Compare those costs to your anticipated income, whether through grants, donations, or sales of services or products, on a monthly basis over that same period. A website opens up the possibility of a new income stream for smaller organizations that can work for you in any time zone.
An Example
Let’s say it takes a couple months and costs you $X for a brand-new, well-designed, minimally viable website that states your organization’s mission, provides monetization and conversion opportunities, showcases a handful of relevant articles on the blog, and contains an active social media feed with your organization’s latest news and updates.
If the website generates an income of at least $X within the first year, you have already paid for the cost of the initial website development. The additional cash flow can be reinvested in further website development to generate additional revenue or in other areas of the organization.
Now Launch
Instead of limping along with a basic website or no website at all, organizations desiring to grow should invest in a well-designed, search engine-optimized website that has the potential to draw the public.
Integrating your website with your social media presence will help more potential customers or donors keep your organization at the top of their minds, buy your products, participate in your programs, and engage with your organization.
Staged, progressive website development increases an organization’s probability of getting the best return on its promotional dollars to offset that investment with new, more engaged customers or donors that support the organization's mission, values, and products or services.
Contact us to receive a complimentary consultation and custom quote for website development.
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A great website is an investment—but it doesn’t have to be made all at once. For smaller organizations, building your site in stages is a smart, scalable strategy that helps manage costs and delivers a quicker return on your investment.