Ten years ago, CoolCoyotes opened it's virtual doors as a web design and development company. It was a strange time to be starting a business. The US was still in shock from the 9/11 terrorist attacks less than 30 days previously. And after the dot-com fallout of the late 90s, the idea of investing actual dollars in a website was almost laughable to some business owners. 

In 2001, it was harder to sell websites.

I spent HOURS educating prospects about the benefits of having a website and trying to get them to catch the vision. Still, most clients weren't willing to try more than a brochure site with of a few pages of information. 

We've Made it 10 Years!

Over the 10 years we've been doing this, our web company has survived changes in technology and changes in economy.  The tools we use change at a pace that makes your head spin and web content has become part of our social and business fabric.  

10 Ways it's Changed

Here are 10 ways the conversation has changed when we talk to businesses about getting websites.

1. We don't have to convince people they should have a website anymore.  Now, everyone in business, every non-profit and everyone who has a dream of launching a product or idea seems to know they need a website.  Once they decide they need one, they can't get them up fast enough. 
   
   
2. Businesses want more than an online brochure.  The Internet has created another world virtually and digitally superimposed on our daily lives like a parallel universe.  Businesses are looking for ways to compete, generate revenue, build their brands, create customer loyalty and find cost savings.  Web applications, mobile apps and mobile sites are tools of business still in their infancy in the 21st century.
   
   
3. Clients can get a website anywhere for any price.  When it comes to websites, we know we have a competitor on every corner, every college dorm room and on computers across the world.  But, even with all that competition, relationships, professionalism and expertise are important ingredients.  Getting a website is easy.  Getting results and a strategy for success is entirely another matter.  We've shifted our focus to the latter.
   
   
4. Everyone's talking about social web.  Whether you love it or hate it, social media has become a force that business can't ignore.  Clients and prospects are curious.  Some are starting social media accounts because ... they can.  But then, they don't know how to leverage them.  This reminds me of where we were 10 years ago with the initial web conversations. 
   
   
5. Most clients have come to expect a content management system.  Ten years ago, content management systems were  ... well... they weren't.  Some clients wanted to easily manage their sites without having to incur more and more web development fees, but the technology was immature.  Now there are hundreds of systems to pick from and just about anyone can manage web content with very little technical knowledge needed. 
   
   
6. Email has exploded opportunities for marketing.  I'm not talking about unwanted, unsolicited spamming - which is insidious and everyone hates it.  (I have one 10 year old email account that receives 6000 spam messages a WEEK.)  No, I'm talking about permission-based and targeted marketing communications via email.  Companies that were breaking ground in mass email just a few years ago (i.e. Constant Contact and Exact Target) are experiencing massive growth in an economy that's looking to cut and save every dime possible.  Email marketing is a powerful marketing and communications tool that companies need to learn to leverage.
   
   
7. Using video for business should be a no-brainer.  There's nothing more effective to communicate a message and online video has become a global phenomenon.   Using video in business for online web marketing, product presentations, promotions and presentations is within reach of any company.   Videos are dual purposed - serving either as content distrution or marketing channels - or as both simultaneously.   We're finding that companies want to explore using video on their websites, create relationships and strengthen their online presence. 
   
   
8. Marketing has merged with technology.  What used to be the realm of marketing agencies who worked with the traditional media of print, television, radio and outdoor advertising has become more affordable, more effective and more measurable through online channels. Not only that, but traditional advertising generally drives traffic to online channels.  So, when a business goes looking for a website, generally, they're looking for help with their marketing - they cannot be separated.
   
   
9. Everyone should think like a customer.  I wish I could be the paradigm police. Companies seem to be so eager to tell you all about everything they've worked so hard for and the people on their staff who've made it happen.  Leave that to the coffee table scrapbooks. Customers don't care about your About Us page - they want to see that you understand them.  Social media and interactive websites have create a world where the consumer dictates the brand. Businesses need to think like their customers and meet them where they have needs.
   
   
10. Content, content, content!  It was true 10 years ago and it's even more important today.  You can't do anything without content.  And for most companies, creating content is flat out hard and time-consuming.  It's easier to simply DO what you do than to strategically, creatively articulate what you do.  Ten years ago, we were focusing just on web content.  Now, content is integrated across multiple channels in a strategic combination of traditional and new media platforms.  

It's been a great 10 years.  Many thanks and blessings to all our clients and friends we've made along the way.

Happy Anniversary, CoolCoyotes.  

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