Some companies spend 50% of sales on their website, some spend 10%, and some spend nothing at all. Spending levels are strategic and tactical. Since the Internet is so new in business, you don't really have guidelines for this--except perhaps the post-Internet-boom trend towards websites that pay their own way. There are several benefits of creating and using a specific website budget:
- The goal of your website budget is to control your expenses and project your revenues.
- It also assists in the coordination of your other business activities, such as marketing and support, within your organization.
- A realistic budget establishes a standard of performance for your actions, and communicates those standards to others responsible for implementing your marketing strategy.
- A well-designed budget is also a tool to keep you on target and indicate when there is needed modification of your Web plan--especially if something goes very right or very wrong.
