So what’s worse: A lame website or not having a website at all? It’s a toss up. Neither one is especially helpful. But in the end I think something is better than nothing.
If you have something online, people can find you.
If you have nothing online, they’ll find someone else.
A lame website can introduce all kinds of problems, yes, but most of the time it’s still better than nothing. A chance at making a sale is better than no chance at all. Trying is better than not trying at all. Mistakes can be forgiven and poor first impressions can be overcome, but if you’re not even in the game to make mistakes then you’ll never have a chance to score.
A lame website is better than no website because it offers that small chance at success.
Lame is not a Strategy
Don’t misunderstand—that lameness is still an incredible hurdle. Obviously a good or even decent website is better than either a lame site or no site. If your site is too lame it becomes a liability*. If information is outdated it’s going to hurt more than help. If your site strays into unethical lameness that’s even worse. And having customers pointing and laughing at your lameness is no boost to the ego.
We’re not advocating lameness. But if you’re afraid to even have a website because it might be lame, the risk of being lame has greater rewards than the risk of doing nothing.
Lame Website
- Worst case scenario: Customer angered by your lameness never comes back.
- Best case scenario: Customer grudgingly overlooks lameness and you make a sale.
No Website
- Worse case scenario: Customer never finds you in the first place.
- Best case scenario: Customer never finds you in the first place.
It’s a slim advantage, but lame is better than nothing.
So get a website. But do yourself a favor and make sure it’s not lame.
* There are obviously varying degrees of lameness. Some are excusable and we point and laugh. Others are bad practice and deserve a stern wag of the finger. Both of those types can be overcome with a lot of hard work and non-lameness. But there are forms of lameness that will sink you like a rock, never to be overcome. These kinds of lame would include anything illegal or unethical, anything slanderous or harmful. If you’ve got those kinds of lame, then you’re better off with no website.
