Nate Klaiber

Looking to Build a Website for Your Business? Don’t Emulate — Innovate.

In continuing discussion of previous posts on this blog, Seth Godin writes:

“All a long way of pointing out that while great websites are fairly different (compare Google with Yahoo), most bad websites are sort of the same. And I have no idea what the role model is, but there are plenty of places you can go to get all the building blocks you need.”

The web is a vast array of resources — but that does not make all of them good. When you are building a website it is important to build your brand as well. Copying websites of competitors and using the same layout and design does not build your brand, it is just that — copying. Its easy to steal other’s ideas, but it takes more time and thought to create something original — original to your brand and your company. Sure, there are things out there that are standard as far as content and structure goes, but just trying to emulate a competitor doesn’t exactly set you apart from the competition. Personally, I think it makes a company look unprofessional — as though they are not willing to take the time to be themselves and find their niche. Using a website can be a great tool — when done properly — otherwise you will have something that sits there stagnant and doing nothing for your business goals.

Take the leap and do things right the first time — it will pay off in the long run. Yes, you can assess your competitor sites to see what others are doing, but be creative, do something fresh and new — something that will set you apart. Keeping attention of your visitors on the web is never easy, especially if you have nothing new to offer — whether thats content or design.