How I killed and buried my first website

 

In the year twenty eleven I came up with an idea to develop a website for the Abossey Okai spare parts lane. That was my first real introduction to website writing and designing. I loved the idea of Facebook and wanted to see if I could replicate the same principle within Ghana and Africa. My vision was very big. As far as I was concerned it was easier to manage a website because once I had it designed,there was no cost to be incurred anymore, I was wrong.

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Well before I continue, let me mention why you need a website for whatever you are doing;

Branding yourself and business without using the internet greatly limits your visibility to the world;

Whatever you are doing, you need to let people know about it. You also want to people to know how exceptional your service can be. You want people to be aware of your existence.

Businesses function on the wings of websites ;

There are many internet businesses these days, Facebook, twitter etc. Even if your business is not a digital one you can have part of the process allocated online. For instance, Dell sells its computers through the internet. You can pay for it with your master card and it would be delivered to you. Even so you can use it to promote your business.

Competition would kick you out if you don’t own a website;

Now the battle is on the digital level. Competitors are fast and showing up where the people are. For instance, the market for most businesses is on social media websites. Some smart business owners are also featuring there. If you are not there with your business then you are already out of the competition.

Your business processes are faster and seamless when you use a website; 

When people want to find you, they just Google and your website pops up there. They also have the opportunity of sending you email. Business activities like promotions, complaint handling, customer interactivity and the like all have their internet version. If you are not using a website and the internet, then you are greatly limiting your potential, you have put a leash on your business potential.

The internet and websites have no discrimination;

Once you make yourself available that is it. The rest depends on your skills in keeping your website alive and promoting your products and services.

Websites level the ground for you;

This is not like going to look for a business location and they mentioning a price that you can’t afford. Once you have the website you and the big guys use the same media! There is no Metropolitan Assembly boss who would stand in your way! I love this level ground and if you enjoy the entrepreneurial fight, you can beat your competitors in-spite of their big marketing budget.

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I continue with my story now. I found one nice gentleman at Osu who designed it for me. At that time, I did not know a mosquito about websites but I liked the idea. I used to go to Osu at 8pm and live there around 12 pm. At that time I was a student at Accra polytechnic and I wanted something started so that, when I completed school I would not have to go and beg for job. 

Though I was a student, I paid the fee in installments and before long the website was ready. Sometimes when I think about how my website took a nose dive and died, I wonder if it is the time I spent visiting the programmer or the money which makes me sad. That hurt me a lot considering the fact that it was my first business failure.

These are the reasons why my website failed; 

Money;

My designer was kind to me but cash halted my efforts. As I run the website, I saw that I needed a programme so that people can load their businesses unto it like we do with Facebook; I saw that this is the reason why social media sites diffuse so fast. After my research I needed this thing done and I could not. Some of these young website designers want to become rich immediately, a code that you are not going to buy, how can you tell me you are taking me Ghc1,000? As a student where was I going to get that money from?

Dependency;

I depended on my designer for everything. Even if I wanted to load people unto it I had to call him. If I wanted to change just a wrong word I had to call him! When I had a new idea, I had to call him! That meant I was getting indebted to him every day. When you are caught in this situation, they like it because they keep earning more income from you. This is why the simple things that you can do for yourself most website designers would hide from you! Now I design my own websites and I own three now without anybody teaching me how to design a thing. I don’t have to depend on anybody for some few changes; you don’t know how that feels great to me!

Marketing;

I did not market my website. I thought once it is on the internet people would see it, what a shameful marketing student I was! Now I know better.

Upgrading;

Because I did not know a hoot about websites, everything on it was always the same. If you visited my website and come back after a year, you would see that nothing has changed. That really gave people the incentive not to come again; they knew what is there already. I could not add or delete simple articles on my website and this killed my dream of constant blogging.

Progress;

I did not have anybody to help me manage it. Now if you look at social media sites you might think that only one or two people manage it but it is a lie! On Facebook for instance, am sure they have a whole team that manages your timeline only! So I was a one man show and this is my sad story.

Website writer;

My designer was a designer but not a marketer. I believe there are website writers and website programmers, if you don’t know the difference, then get ready to have a terrible marketing with your website. Websites are projects and you have to do your segmentation, targeting, positioning and the like. 

Debt;

This was the final nail I hammered into the coffin and it was the last straw that broke the camel's back. If you own a  website my advice is that do everything to be out of debt.

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Oh! I had great dreams for my website!! Thinking about it makes me want to give up my lunch for this afternoon (the first cut is the deepest), but the thing is it becomes like a girl who has broken your heart. Once your heart is broken, when you try getting near, then bad memories start haunting you and you retreat. I know if I knew what I know now I would be rich! But I hope someday I would master the courage to forgive my first girl friend and unite with her. But am not sure she would be waiting for me because while you are resting on your laurels and nursing my wounds, somebody would be thinking about how to repackage it and win.

If I want to start again, I would reverse the negatives in this article and I would soon be on the plane to Hawaii, Miami and some island somewhere for my holidays.

The website name is AUTO PARTS MARK.

Now I have three websites designed all by myself! 

THE CLAUS ORG. - this is for my business and philanthropic foundation. 

TOP-NOTCH REMEDIAL SCH - this is for my remedial classes.

PEOPLE BUILD CITIES - this is for my ministry, because next year I plan on going on crusades and so on. You don’t have to own a church before you do the Lord’s work.

My dream in life about websites is to own 10 powerful websites that is worldwide recognized.

So friends, without much ado, I bring down the curtain on my sad story. Please share my article for me.

Thanks for reading.