I recently had a potential client who approached myself and Barbara Mednick of BKM Consulting to help her promote her website for her new online business. That was right up our alley so we had a look at her website. It was one of the ugliest websites we had ever seen. What’s more, we couldn’t figure out what the website was about or why anyone would go there.

During our initial meeting, she told us that she had designed the website herself with one of those do-it-yourself online website design tools. And paid a lot of money to use that tool. And they were hosting the website.

Which meant she was a virtual prisoner of this “service.”

When I suggested that the website could be improved by using a quality but low cost website designer for start-ups, she told us that all her friends and family had looked at the website and told her how great it was. Then she told us she wasn’t attached to the website and was open to suggestions. (Not really.)

Testing exposes the hard, cold truth…

In our proposal,  we diplomatically suggested that we test the website with strangers to get an unbiased opinion of the website before she spends a lot of time and money on marketing.

We knew that we had to get that website redone by a professional and also rewrite the copy. But first and foremost, we had to figure out who her target market was and how best to convince them that this was a great idea. That’s why the other thing we proposed was a marketing plan.

That was when she admitted she had very little money and that she was busy looking for a job. You can’t start a business, even an online business, with no money and no income.

The problem with “great ideas…”

As marketers, we get approached all the time by people with great new ideas. “Everyone is going to love this.” “Everyone needs this.” “This idea is going to change the world.”

Bull.

I don’t want evangelists for clients. I don’t want clients who have the next great idea. 99% of those great ideas end up in the dust bins of history.

Why?

Either because you were the only person who thought it was a great idea (except for family and friends who didn’t want to hurt your feelings) or because it was a great idea but you didn’t have the money and resources necessary to convince the world that you have a great idea.

If you don’t have the resources (read “money”)…

If you don’t have the resources (she was unemployed and desperately looking for a job), don’t start a business. Starting a business is the toughest thing you’ll ever do. It takes money, huge amounts of time, and a total commitment.

Starting a business is not a hobby. It’s a life-changing experience. And DO NOT start a business if you aren’t willing to listen to and accept cold hard criticism. Real business people and bankers aren’t dreamers. If you can’t show them that there’s a real targetable market (read “numbers”) for your “great idea” with proof that people are spending money on similar ideas (read “competitors”), don’t even bother walking in the door. You’ll just get your heart broke.

HackingEthics

Originally posted 2010-03-04 09:00:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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