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🕸️ Stuck in the Websites - What to look for in a website builder.

In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 228 - Stuck in the Web...Sites, we (remotely - forgive the sound quality this week, kids - it was a learning experience) talk about the sunsetting of the baker-centric website host and builder, Castiron. 

📩 Castiron sent this email to current users on Monday night with very little warning that there were problems in "paradise":

Consider the implications of losing your website:

• 🖱️ Loss of URL (meaning all your business cards need to be reprinted)
• 🖱️ Loss of outstanding order details
• 🖱️ Loss of unpaid invoices
• 🖱️ Loss of all product listings / copy / images
• 🖱️ Loss of all rankings in search engines (lead gen)
• 🖱️ Loss of business metrics (web traffic / sales yoy / customer data) 
• 🖱️ Loss of time building a new website from scratch

See - it can have a massive impact on a small business. So making sure you're not stuck in this predicament is just good business.

💻 1. Is the website host well-established?

"Shiny new object" syndrome isn't the best when it comes to websites. Providers that have decades under their belt hosting websites is a good sign that they're here for a long time, not just a good time. 

When a new company enters the website space, they're trying to gain enough market share to generate the cash flow to stay operational. While they often offer more competitive pricing, there's a reason for that = to build up their user base. While they may offer more perks for less, you also run the risk that they may not remain sustainable for long.

💻 2. Is the host cost-competitive?

There's cheap, fast, and good = choose two. But in all seriousness, consider the pricing implications of your hosting platform of choice. If the monthly fee seems low, they may be taking % of sales. Some web hosts provide the basics, but you get nickel-and-dimed with plugins (Shopify and WordPress, for example). 

Here's the takeaway - cheaper doesn't always mean bad, and expensive doesn't always mean good. What you need to vet is how that specific platform meets your bakery's unique needs. If you're new to market, a platform that takes % of sales may actually be more cost advantageous than a flat fee host. It's dependent on your needs + the math problem. Find what works for you.

💻 3. Are they reaching promised milestones?

When a company shows its roadmap, it's a decent metric to see how the company is progressing. If most milestones are missed, it may be an indicator that not all is sunshine and roses. Stay on top of promises and deadlines to better understand how the host is maintaining its tech and thus your website.

💻 4. Does it match your level of "tech savvy"?

It could be the best website builder in the world, but if you don't know how to use it, it's worthless. Finding a platform that works with how you work is the winning strategy here, and sometimes that's not always a full website but rather an intake form (like Bakesy, Jotform, or Google Forms). If you're willing to sit with a problem until it's solved, more complex builders will give you more functionality. It's all about finding what works well for you and your current needs.