A website is a dynamic tool for marketing and sales, not just a pretty picture on the internet. Companies that boast having the best deal for buying 4-5 of their sites for a “meager $300” might as well be asking you to just send them a check for nothing. You’d have a better shot at winning your money back at roulette.

So how do you avoid falling into this ever-present trap? Spending many hundreds of dollars might be out of reach for a new business, or even an old business looking to market online. However, if you can spare an extra hundred or two, you’ll get more than a pretty picture or a night at the casino.

For that extra amount, you’ll receive value beyond the instant copy and paste logo sites that do little else beside create cookie-cut sites that are just the same as your competition…with different colors. Your business will have a site that was built with your business needs in mind instead of just a thank you token for the $300.

That extra value comes into play when you see the long-term results of proper SEO (search engine optimization) application, targeted content and multi-browser compatibility. These vast and material differences can only be obtained when you work with a professional trained to produce quality websites.

Such a person, or agency, will work with you to understand your business and create a unique website that fits your business’ needs while effectively marketing your site. Your website should be more than simply an online presence.

If you sell computer keyboards, and you spend all of your time standing on the street holding a cardboard sign that reads, in crayon, “I sell computer keyboards,” chances are you’d be wasting your money on the cardboard, the crayons and your time. A cookie-cutter website holds the same danger. However, working on a custom designed solution with a professional website designer would be like watching your business grow while your interactive sales team scours the streets, filling them with information and desire for your product: computer keyboards.

What if you can’t throw the extra $100 or $200 toward the development of your website? Don’t. Don’t put any money toward it, yet. If your business isn’t ready to invest in such an important business tool, why buy it now? It’s far better to save for that investment and get some value for your money.

Otherwise you might as well just visit the casino. Or buy lots of cardboard and crayons.