websites

We recently launched a new website for the Association of Medical Marijuana Caregivers (AoMMC) that is built to help authorized patients find the resources they need to obtain medical marijuana.

The AoMMC's mission is to help patients with chronic pain and illnesses find marijuana, which has been legalized in some states as a medicinal option for certain medical conditions. In order to get medical marijuana, a patient needs a physician who is willing to provide a medical marijuana recommendation (it can't be legally prescribed yet) and a caregiver who will provide the marijuana to them (since it can't be legally purchased from a pharmacy).

According to our client, the problem is that many medical marijuana-eligible patients face is that they can't get a recommendation. Even with a recommendation, where can a patient - often someone who is sick, elderly, or both - find a trusted local caregiver to get marijuana from?

When AoMMC first approached us about building a website to help connect medical marijuana patients with physicians and caregivers, we were understandably hesitant - after all, this is a pretty hot issue! We had something of a debate in the office: would it be legal? Ethical? Would we end up with ardent supporters or sign-bearing protestors?

In the end, we decided to help the AoMMC build the website. We believe that everybody has the right to free speech, and that's what the website is really all about. In keeping with that belief, we're inviting you to tell us your opinion about medical marijuana and the various issues surrounding it.

Something we've been hearing a lot during these difficult economic times is small business owners saying that they can't afford to create or improve their website.

I beg to differ - you can't afford to NOT have a well-designed professional website. It should be the cornerstone of all your small business marketing efforts! There are a plethora of online marketing tools - many of them free - that can be utilized to direct customers to your website, but getting customers to you is only half the battle. The other half is convincing them that you are legitimate, experienced, and professional, which is where your website needs to accel.

Your website is a representation of your business much like an actual physical storefront. Sloppy presentation, out-of-date information, and confusing placement of information will cause your potential customers to leave your site and find a better-looking business. This is especially true if you are trying to sell your products or services online.

A common misconception among small business owners is that it's difficult to find customers online when their target market is local. Let's face it: Google is the new Yellow Pages. And the old Yellow Pages, well, they've moved online too. If you provide a specific type of product or service to a specific area, you actually have an excellent opportunity to be listed for free in search engines!

So make your website the absolute best it can be - it might just be the investment that carries your small business through to the next economic boom.