Web Development Firm Changes Gears, Puts Power in its Customers Hands

Scot Robnett, owner of inSite Internet Solutions in Woodstock, Illinois, noticed a paradigm shift in the way small business web sites are being brought to market. He decided to help his clients take advantage of the change.

(PRWEB) July 26, 2004 -- At one time, it was a big deal to be a highly-skilled web developer. And at one time, it was also valuable to be a skilled blacksmith while the automobile was virtually unknown. In other words, times change and businesses change. Obsolescence, automation, and outsourcing can all have an effect on the viability of some businesses and jobs.

The same can be said for the Internet industry, especially with regard to the World Wide Web. The WWW is always changing and adapting, becoming more accessible and more powerful. For web developers, the days of building $30,000 "static" (non-interactive) web sites are over. Good developers are looking for ways to help their customers use web sites not just as online brochures, but as real business and marketing tools.

At the same time, technology that makes the building and maintenance of web sites easier for business owners is starting to become available. Whereas maintenance contracts and update charges have been standard for some time, budget-conscious business owners needed a better way.

While there are many developers out there that continue to resist this natural evolution, inSite Internet Solutions has embraced the idea for several reasons. inSite's owner, Scot Robnett, explains why:

"If we can bring our clients' sites to market faster, and provide them more tools than we have ever been able to before at a fraction of the price, that adds up to happy campers. While the margin on our WebCenter bundled web service packages may not be quite as high as custom programming jobs, we are consistently able to deliver on time and above expectations. I'm much more interested in referral business than I am in margins on a single project."

Speaking of referrals, inSite also offers its clients a networking program. If a current customer sends them an interested party, and the prospect ends up purchasing a WebCenter site, inSite sends the current customer a substantial referral bonus. While not going into detail, Scot points out, "Sending us just 4 qualified referrals will basically result in an entire year of free web hosting for the affiliate, so it's well worth making a recommendation."

Another reason to offer bundled web services packages such as WebCenter sites, according to Mr. Robnett, is to provide a higher level of customer service and technical support. Since a single developer involved in multiple projects will not always have time to respond immediately, frequently customers are "left hanging" and sometimes forced to wait days (or even weeks) for a response to an e-mail form or a voice mail. "That model just doesn't work for most business owners," Scot says. "If a page stops loading, e-mail isn't getting through, or there's a server error where the shopping cart should be, they don't have that kind of time - their business depends on that site. Our customers have toll-free and live chat support available to them six days a week. I've had several of our clients rave about how helpful our support team is, and that counts for a lot in this industry."

"It used to take weeks or months to put together this kind of functionality for our customers, and support was spotty because I was busy," Robnett recalls. "Now we are able to help our clients synchronize their contacts with the WebCenter's contact management system, assist them in selling goods and services with their sites, give them the tools to publish online newsletters, make it possible for them to update their own text and images without paying a web developer to do it, add dynamic tools like search boxes and interactive calendars to their sites, and the list goes on. We don't apply sales pressure, we just provide information at our WebCenter site, http://www.buildyoursite.biz. If someone wants to experience how their own WebCenter site would operate before they commit to a purchase, they can call us for a free demo - we do this all the time. If it's the right solution for them, great! If not, we will try to point them in the right direction. Either way, we're hoping we can make the launch of a web site easier; hoping to help them make a smart business decision on a tech product that has a history of being a little confusing to say the least."

Sounds like they're on to something.

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inSite Internet Solutions is a web site development, programming, and Internet marketing company located in Woodstock, Illinois. For contact information, visit www.buildyoursite.biz.

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