Website Builders Offer Too Many Options & Not Enough Humans.
With so many robust website builders available, why are so many small business websites so ineffective?
I build software. Web applications to be specific. But when I try to explain that to people, I eventually get placed in the ‘web-guy’ box. What comes with being put in that box is lots of requests to build websites for small business owners, solopreneurs, friends, and family. Which is a problem.
It’s not a problem because it’s hard or because I don’t like what the people are asking. If that was the case, I could easily say no. It’s a problem because I truly want to help people with the businesses and projects they care so deeply about, and I’m honored that people ask me for help. The problem is time.
The truth is, when I am helping the group of people mentioned above I’m not just designing a website. To do my job effectively, requires me to take on logo design, visual design, copywriting, social media strategy, etc. That takes a lot of time. Something I don’t have a lot of being a full-time employee, husband, and dad.
Even if I did have more time, that in itself wouldn’t necessarily solve the problem either. Any way you piece it together, you easily get above $5,000 for the services described above and small business owners, solopreneurs, friends, and family are rarely working with this kind of budget. See the problem?.
For years I’ve turned most of these requests down, only taking on a few projects from time to time finding false confidence in the fact that there are so many robust website creation tools available, and people looking for my help will be fine.
Occasionally my defenses break (like recently) and my heart has me engaged in a couple projects. As I sat asking my wife for extra time to complete these projects, I had a realization. Most of the people I’m working with need a few basic things.
- A well designed website that looks good on all devices.
- A website that tells their story and inspires visitors to action.
- A blog
- Someone to consult with them on how their site should be used on the world wide web of today.
Why then, with so many tools that offer great design templates, blogs, and social media integration, are these people still turning to me for help? Why then are some many small business websites so ineffective?
Best I can tell it’s because of the 4 items listed above, website builders only address two of them. They offer beautiful templates & blogs that look great on all devices. Through ton’s of options like layout selection and photo galleries they attempt to give the user more power to tell their story. Most if not all leave the consulting need unaddressed all together.
That’s when I had the idea for Paprika.sh; what it could be exactly, and how it could help these people.
As I started to concept, it became apparent that creating another website builder wasn’t the answer. I certainly wasn’t going to compete there, but I don’t think I need to.
Paprika.sh is a platform, not a website builder. It’s a platform that is open for users to create a website on their own if they wish, but always has help not too far away. Help in the form of real people, offering real services, at real affordable prices. Services like logo design, branding strategy, content strategy, social media strategy, copy writing/editing, messaging, banner design, etc.
Current website builders attempt to help users by giving them as much control possible over items 1 and 3 from above. They give users options ad nauseam concerning font-selection, layout, color scheme, page creation, blog design, photo galleries, etc. Most of them address mobile layouts and even offer options there. Paprika.sh flips this model around by offering little to no control over site and blog design. This simple shift forces attention into correct areas. The other two (unaddressed) items from above: 2. A website that tells their story and 4. Someone to consult with.
What results is a website that is well designed, responsive to mobile devices, and well thought through in terms of positioning and messaging. Users no longer toil over fonts, layout, or design. They think about messaging, tone, emotion. Instead of thinking about integrating every social media service available they think about how they should be using social media.
This restriction forces the conversations that really matter without compromising design.
Every website on the Paprika.sh system is assigned Paprika.sh Project Manager (PPM). The PPMs job is to learn about the needs of our users, and introduce them to add-on services where it makes sense. If the user decides they would like to engage in any of those services, the PPM coordinates and manages the whole process.
It’s early on in this Paprika.sh experiment, but if all goes well I’ll accomplish my goal of helping people create web experiences that truly impact their ideas, businesses, and projects for a price they can afford. Attacking small business website design in this manner allows me to be more effective with less time invested. Everybody wins!
If you are interested go ahead and signup for an account and start a conversation with us. We’d love to see if Paprika.sh is right for you.
