In the late 90s, there was a new phenomenon. Companies started building websites and offered pages and pages of catalogues and products that people could buy online and have those orders delivered to their doorsteps. Consumers in Singapore took to it like snails to salt.

“It’s a small island and easy to get around, no point taking a chance with putting my credit card details online, not with all the internet fraud reported in the papers.”

Business owners realized this was how most locals felt about ecommerce and were generally disheartened so we can understand why they didn’t see the need to place too much emphasis in their web presence. They moved on, but this dark era would leave its mark forever in their hearts and minds especially when during budget planning meetings.

Then things changed. A new generation of consumers who grew up with the internet started to go to work, earned and spent money, and made decisions. Theirs is the age of Google and not Yellow Pages. They watch movies online, make friends online, and learn more from Wikipedia than they were ever taught in school (ok, i exaggerate, but you get the point). These are the upcoming decision makers, who will eventually decide whether to use your products or your competitors’, whether to engage your services or the other guy’s.

It is the year 2009. I think the 5-paged website is going to be a tough sell.

The flaw about the 5-paged site, is that it’s no longer enough just to have a web presence. Businesses need to be sincere in their efforts to reach out to their target audience on the internet. Most importantly, your website has to stop being all about you and start to offer value to your client. Put yourself in the shoes of your visitor, you’re more interested if you can get a better deal in terms of pricing or quality or service, not the model numbers and technical descriptions. Think about what your customer stands to gain every second he or she is on your site. Think about the reasons why visitors would even go to your site. When you’ve got it, give them everything they want and promise them that there’s more to come. Before long, your site will be growing to offer more valuable content and information, and along with it, a loyal following of repeat visitors.

Developing and maintaining a website for the benefit of your users is going tough, but hey, who said being in business is easy? The good news is: it’s never too late to revamp your website. Plan your objectives, prepare your offerings of value and seek out your web designers! If they offer you an “affordable 5-paged website package”, slowly disappear into the shadows and run for your life.