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DooDoocom

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DooDoocom

by Judith Kallos

I can see you smirking on the other side of this screen based on the name of this article. You probably have the same look on your face that I very often see when I use that term with prospective clientele.

So, you may be asking - what is this about? Albeit humorous sounding, this term is one that when I use it, for the most part, is to make a very serious point. Doo-Doo.com is my catch phrase for those ideas that have no sound basis for success, whose owners feel that by just getting their own dot com and throwing up a Web site - selling... er.... well..... anything, and then just sitting back and waiting for the orders or e-mail to roll in, they will soon be on the path to IPO-dom.

All at little or no cost to boot! And, more times than not, those with the Doo-Doo.com mentality are those not willing to do the due diligence and hard work necessary to make their idea one that has a chance for success. This terminology is used in lieu of the more graphic words not generally used in a professional setting.

With this article, I will guide those new to the Internet or those new to Web site development, what some of the core basics are that you need to consider to prevent your site from becoming just another Doo-Doo.com. By reading this article and taking note of some of the points made, you will have a more realistic view of what is involved in not just having a Web site, but creating a successful effective Web site.

You think you have a great idea for a Web site? A product/service that people will want to buy? Well, lets put up a Web site and get rich! Unfortunately, it just is not that easy. Not to say, you wont find some unscrupulous or inexperienced "Web designer" who will lead you to believe that this process is easy, no instructions necessary, just pay your bill and the minions will come and buy whatever doo-doo you have on your Web site. This will not happen.

Understand the Web business is very competitive - mostly because our market - you - have no idea what we are talking about! This lends to those out for a quick buck, not concerned about their customers success ratio, catering to those who prefer to hear what they want to hear rather than what they need to know to be successful.

Just as with your Web site - this is marketing! Fast! Cheap! Easy! Do-it-yourself! Those terms sell. Clearly evidenced by the "get rich quick" mentality you can find all over the Internet. Terms like "hard work", "you will have a lot to learn", "hours of effort", "ongoing commitment" - well, those terms just dont sell as effectively - to some.

If I do not get hired because I make the process sound too hard, or have high expectations in regard to my clients work ethic and level of commitment to their project, as far as I am concerned, this gives me more time to concentrate on those clients who do. See, I assume they hire me to make them succeed - not cater to what they are not willing to do in the guise of the "customer is always right" mentality even when I know they are dead wrong.

Here are some questions you need to ask to determine if your idea is one worth pursuing:

What will my online expenses be for my Web server, ISP connection, E-Commerce application, Web site development and maintenance?
Why will people buy this product/service from me rather than any number of Web sites online?
Is my product/service needed/desired?
Can I offer the product or service at a competitive price and what is that?
Will my suppliers support my requests and potential growth/demand for the product?
Is the quality of my product/service in line with the price I am asking?
How much will it cost to have enough inventory to support orders while additional product is in transit?
What are the issues to consider and the best rates/providers for a Merchant Account so that I can accept credit cards securely on my site?
What are my policies and return procedures in regard to online ordering?
What options will I have for shipping and what will I charge respectively?

What happens when business owners do not do their due diligence or realize after the fact that this is a business just as in the off-line world with the same responsibilities? What if they do not get all the above questions answered and a firm understanding of what will be involved before they jump online?

They end up not being successful nor do they come close to their unrealistic goals. Here are some of the reasons I have been given when clients are disappointed with their success. Believe it or not these are actual statements:

"We found someone who says we dont have to do all the stuff you tell us we need to do to be successful and they have links and things."
"We had no idea there was so much work and learning involved and just do not have the time right now. There must be an easier way."
"I dont have the time to learn all this stuff and I really do not want to pay you to do it for me."
"I know I havent made any changes or added information as you suggested to my site in over a year. And, no I have not checked my stats or search engine positions. But I should still be able to generate some revenue anyway. This just is not a profitable venture."
"It just didnt take off like I expected and Im not inclined to spend the necessary time or expense you advised is necessary."

This does not include those (more that I can count) who in their initial consultation, their eyes glaze over as if in a trance when they starting hearing things like:
Checking e-mail every day.... "Every daaaaaaaay?"
Marketing your site an hour per day.... "With all the money I am paying you, dont you do that for me?"
Investing in adding additional information and functionality for their site.... "We have to pay you more after the site is launched? Cant we leave it as it is for at least a year?"
Investing in Search Engine listings, PPCs, and optimization/monitoring services.... "Why do we have to pay to do that? Arent they free? Arent we just listed forever they way we want?"
We need to get you off AOL for your business communications so you can utilize your dot com as your e-mail identity.... "No, I wont do that - my whole family is on AOL!"
You will need to follow my Netiquette guidelines to ensure you are perceived as credible, educated site owners. This includes not typing in all caps, using proper punctuation and sentence structure, checking for errors as well as editing of your e-mail replies.... "I know a bunch of people that type in all caps - whats the big deal?!"
I can make suggestions in regard to getting a Merchant Account so that you can accept credit cards for your products/services online.... "Cant we just use yours?"
Have you determined what type of software you will use for accounting purposes?.... "What accounting purposes? Dont we just ship the orders?"
Tell me what you have done, research-wise to come to the conclusion this would be a profitable venture?.... "No research, I just think it is a good idea - dont you?"
I would love to hear about your product.... "I was hoping you could help me with that. Can you suggest a business idea or something for me to sell?"
I did a search for your product and found over 1 billion other pages cover this topic. How do you plan on standing out from the rest? "We just add meta keywords, right?"
So as you can see, there is so much more to this than slapping up even a quality Web site - this is business! After this initial meeting some go off into the sunset to later appear with a site they created themselves or by one of the individuals I mentioned earlier - yep, Doo-Doo.com. Others, those who I am proud to have as clients, realize and admit they need to hire someone who will tell them what they need to know - even if it is intimidating and their hard work is required.

Smart business people do not want watered-down sugarcoated solutions. They know that any credible, successful business venture - of any kind - requires unwavering commitment from all involved. An idea, even the greatest idea, combined with a great site cannot be successful unless many of the issues above are addressed seriously.

This includes having a product/service people want, at the right price, with a credible Web site whose owner is committed to learning what is necessary to its success. Just as in the off-line world. To just "think" it is a good idea, and not make the correct efforts in the appropriate areas just is not enough. You will then have Doo-Doo.com.

Whats the bottom line? Make a commitment to work hard, to learn, learn, learn. Dont try to fool yourself that those that make having a Web site sound easy, those who say your Doo-Doo.com is a great idea, those who offer no training whatsoever and make it sound like the path of least resistance is the path to follow. Run away from those who may getting found sound as simple as snapping your fingers--it is porportionately the opposite!

Anyone who is truly successful on the Web (or off-line for that matter) will tell you it is not easy. They will tell you that you need to have a great-idea.com and then be prepared to feed that project what it needs from both your time and resource investments to ensure its ongoing success. They will tell you that if your personality is not conducive to change, if you are not flexible, if you dont have the desire to acquire knowledge and feel as though you are in school every day of your life for the unforeseeable future - DONT GET A WEB SITE!

Having a Web site is not any different than having a real business off-line in a physical location. You need to know the basics of running a business from accounting, to tax and legal issues. You need to be able to plan how your marketing program will adjust to this evolving technology both on and off-line based on data and trends; how you will adjust as well.

So, the choice is yours - do you want to have a Doo-Doo.com or your very own great idea dot com that you worked hard at, built to be successful and are proud of? The choice is yours to make - not the developer or promotion touting Fast!, Cheap!, Easy!.

I challenge you to choose to work with a consultant that will insist you work as hard as they do for you, that you continue to learn, that you keep up with the technology. I challenge you to choose the online partners that makes it clear you will have to continually invest in your project; that this is a long-term commitment. Because if you dont, know you will be just another one of the many Doo-Doo.coms . . .