Tough love.
I lied. It’s probably going to hurt you.
But I can help.
Lately, the good people at Instagram have been serving me a steady stream of ads from web designers, digital agencies, and brand consultants.
One features a young web guy standing in his kitchen holding a laptop. He’s playing two roles: himself and the “client.” He tells the client their baby (website) is ugly. The client pushes back: “But we worked so hard on it.” The designer responds: Nobody cares how hard you worked. Your site stinks, and it’s costing you money.
Another ad features a woman speaking directly into the camera. She asks if you trust the opinion of your mom or your friends when it comes to your website. Do you want people who make you feel good? Or seasoned professionals who tell you the truth and get you what you actually need?
A third shows a guy on an iPad in the back seat of a black car. He’s taking time out of his obviously successful and very busy day to explain that your “amateur hour, DIY site” is killing your business while your competitors are quietly stealing your clients with brands that actually work. He claims he’s scaled hundreds of businesses simply by helping them stop looking cheap online.
And guess what? They are 100% right.
In fact, just yesterday, I got an email from a fairly new-to-market boutique luxury brand. They offer a very expensive product in a very crowded space. If I wanted the absolute best in their category, I could buy it elsewhere for a third of their price. If I wanted something really good, I could buy it for a tenth.
At the bottom of their email? The logo of a free AI email marketing platform. They are using a free tool to sell one of the most expensive offerings in their vertical.
Shocked? Yes.
Surprised? Not really.
Here’s the tough love:
You cannot charge premium prices with bargain-bin signals. The grass is greener where you water it. Invest in what you love. Don’t let your business suffer because you saved a few dollars now, and cost yourself the business you dreamt of.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
