We have been asked many times: "Why is it so important to do all the market research and data analysis? Can we skip this phase all together? Why can't we simply build the web site and then see how it goes? Can we utilize someone else's templates and just "plug in" our own data?" The answer is simple; yes, you can.
 
However, there will be a difference, a big one. Everything boils down to the question of originality. Do you really want to look like hundreds of other web sites? Can you afford not to be unique as you really are? What does you competition look like? Are they standing still? How will you justify the cost of building and maintaining the web site?
 

Once upon a time, some two Internet eons (a few calendar years) ago, it was enough to just have a web site. The actual web site may have had only one or two pages, and it did not matter how it looked. The point was to be "trendy" and to have a web address printed on a business card. Since then, things have changed, and changed radically. Businesses these days require a particular rate of return on their online investments. A web site is an investment, and it should be treated as such. The cost of building and maintaining your web presence has to be justifiable. A web site should not be some kind of separate entity floating out there, but rather a part of your overall marketing strategy. This brings us back full circle to the issue of marketing. In order to fulfill the mentioned requirements, we need to analyze current markets, your competition, and the overall state of the industry your business is in. Armed with these results we will serve you better, and your investment will be a justifiable one.