There are things in business that boggle the mind as to how anyone could think this or that was a good idea, discussions that are often opinion based with the benefit of hindsight to judge the offending parties. One area that is very confusing is that there are business entities who are under utilizing the internet as a resource for their services and products. How is it that there are still churches and organizations with similar outreach based emphasis that do not have a website? There is no phone book, so if people want to find you they are going to the internet – it’s been this way for many years now. So, what are the barriers for these service groups to creating a simple web page presence?

​First potential barrier, these organizations are so involved in their work that they don’t realize the interest exists. This is unlikely but I suppose it is possible. This level of being off the grid may not need to be helped, unless that was you and this is the first thing you are reading while online. Welcome to the future.

Second potential barrier, the belief that every on the internet must cost too much to create an internet friendly presence. This may be a real barrier as there are many non-profit as well as for profit organizations that don’t understand where to start in creating their online presence. If you are a small ministry or a new company it may seem like any amount of money spent on web advertising is prohibitive but any entity that wants to reach people, whether you are serving them or selling them, has to understand that the bulk of those people are online. An entry level website can be very cost effective and even inexpensive as at this point of engagement there are only a few key foundational items that need to be communicated such as location, meeting times and contact information which is very similar to a for profit business in communicating what services are offered and how to make a connection.

Third potential barrier, the belief that the internet is too complex to allow for people with no experience or programming knowledge to create websites. Nothing could be further from the truth as most of the entry level tools are nearly fool proof in your ability to create and/or maintain a simple site. Many website generators provide free sites, free templates and simple assistance with upgrades. There are blog sites as well as pages that can be created on social media platforms. Whether an organization or business is willing to try on their own or is looking to hire someone to assist, at the entry level websites can be value friendly with the right partner.

What is a website, think of it as your business card that is always working for you. Do you want people to know that you exist and be able to find basic information about how to find where you are, what you do and when you meet? The internet provides this potential for connection at very basic levels as well as opportunities to take advantage of a few key optimizing elements to boost your presence on the world wide web. Don’t let cost or complexity be a barrier to promoting your organization or business online, we have helped several friends, families, organizations and business owners get their start. Look for our IZ Ventures article soon covering where to start when launching your website or social media platform and contact us if you need assistance getting things going.