Is a website presence less relevant now?

[Matt Sugden]

When the explosion of the internet took place, it was safe to say that everyone was clambering to have a website of some description. Lets face it if you didn't have one or indeed if you still don't have one people think you are crazy.

 

I'm on the cusp of redoing our website, but it got me thinking about how much business that actually finds me then ultimately uses my services through this method, and the reality is I think I have never picked up a contract soley on the basis of my website.

 

There could be a number of reasons for this, perhaps because I have never spent a great deal of time doing SEO on my website, so essentially the only people who stumble across my website either know about it already or have found it through a back link. Or perhaps my website isn't very good in terms of visual and text content.

 

My belief however is that other than a form of glamorous portfolio the website is not a great way of attracting new/unknown customers. I'd be keen to learn otherwise though, if there are people on here who have actually had customers go from never having heard of them to finding them and then commissioning them on the strength of their website alone.

[Matt McDonald]

I don't think of a web site or a brochure or a demo reel or anything of the sort as the end-all method of getting business. I think they are all things you kind of need to have to seem legitimate, that or a tremendous reputation (we all could be so lucky).