Are you building a website for the right business?

I am constantly amazed by business owners and their thought process, or just a lack of common sense in many cases.

One very common thing I see as a website hosting company is business owners trying to build websites, of course.

But in many cases, more than you would think, the website is for a new business, a new venture or some pie in the sky dream.

I work with them to build a website, get the pages done and so on and at some point in the process I find out they have an existing business, a real business, one that pays the bills.

They tell me, the pageBuzz tools are great and eventually they will build a website for their actual business.

As my head spins I ask, you have another business? Without a website?

Oh yeah, that is my full time business I have had for 20 years, makes a million dollars a year but the website is for a new business because I need the advertising, I need this one to grow and be and I know the internet can do that for me.

I have to ask, So you don't need your regular business to grow?

You don't think that if you have time to build a website it should be for the business that actually is making some money right now?

It seems like people look to the Internet as the ultimate in marketing. If they build a website they will make millions.

While they are wrong, why is it that you would not apply that logic to their current business.

Why would anyone ignore their existing business that makes money in an effort to build a website for some new crazy idea that does not have a shot in hell to make it.

Why are you not building a website for your main business?

I just don't get it.

But I see this over and over again. People building websites not for their business, but for something else because they know it is a great way to grow a business.

Now maybe it is just me.

But that is the best way to watch a 20 year old business dwindle down to nothing as you work on some crazy new idea and neglect the one that matters.

Now, they are right about one thing. It is important to have a business online, almost critical in todays market.

So rather than building a website for some goofy new idea, just build a website for your main business.

Or at least build a website for your main business first. Then build your goofy idea website after your main business has the tools it needs.

It is sort of like having a job and taking a week off to find a better job paying $1 an hour more. Well, how long does it take to make up the lost income from that week at $1? It could take 4 months before you make the money back you lost looking for something better.

Building a website for a new business without having one for the old business is the same.

You know you need a website but rather than using the Internet to help what you have you ignore it and build something new that will most likely fail in a few months anyway.

If you have a business now, that is the one that needs a website, if you are building a website for something else, you need to rethink your strategy.

There is no better use for a website than to help grow what you already have. In that context, the website will help grow your business.

But trying to build a new business with the Internet as the main storefront is the most difficult thing you will ever attempt. And when it fails you will likely believe that the Internet wont work for your current business which is just not true.

So don't make a mistake and try to use the Internet to try to strike it rich with some new idea, use it to help your current idea grow, prosper and evolve into the technology age.