Comments on: Build vs. Buy: Which works best? (Guide to Small Business E-commerce) http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/ Interactive marketing and e-commerce strategy blog for the local, mobile, social web Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:59:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Top 5 reasons your site must use web standards http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2420 Top 5 reasons your site must use web standards Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:30:28 +0000 http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2420 [...] here, every business can benefit from knowing enough to ask the right questions whether you build the site yourself, select an outside agency or use a hosted service. Standards compliance means using things like the [...] […] here, every business can benefit from knowing enough to ask the right questions whether you build the site yourself, select an outside agency or use a hosted service. Standards compliance means using things like the […]

]]> By: Tim http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2078 Tim Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:34:32 +0000 http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2078 Hi James, It's a great question as to what to do when you've already got something in place. I believe that <strong>a website - as a primary form of customer contact - represents a strategic part of your business</strong>. When choosing whether to buy or build, a key question is whether the requirement you're looking at also represents a strategic business component or whether it's a commodity. Ignore what you've invested. Sunk costs are just that. Look instead on what you're planning to add and evaluate it critically the same as you would any new development. If it's a commodity, you probably are better off buying. If it's not <em>and it's strategic</em> then you should look at building. Obviously, the devil is in the details with these questions. <a href="http://www.forrester.com/" rel="nofollow">Forrester</a>, <a href="http://www.emarketer.com/" rel="nofollow">eMarketer</a> and <a href="http://www.gartner.com/" rel="nofollow">Gartner</a> often provide good places to look for research on specific marketing/technology topics and may help you answer your specific needs. Or drop me an email (on the <a href="http://www.timpeter.com/blog/about-tim-peter/" rel="nofollow">About Tim Peter</a> page) and I'll see if I can help you out. Hi James,
It’s a great question as to what to do when you’ve already got something in place. I believe that a website - as a primary form of customer contact - represents a strategic part of your business.

When choosing whether to buy or build, a key question is whether the requirement you’re looking at also represents a strategic business component or whether it’s a commodity. Ignore what you’ve invested. Sunk costs are just that. Look instead on what you’re planning to add and evaluate it critically the same as you would any new development. If it’s a commodity, you probably are better off buying. If it’s not and it’s strategic then you should look at building.

Obviously, the devil is in the details with these questions. Forrester, eMarketer and Gartner often provide good places to look for research on specific marketing/technology topics and may help you answer your specific needs. Or drop me an email (on the About Tim Peter page) and I’ll see if I can help you out.

]]> By: James Fallaw http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2077 James Fallaw Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:11:29 +0000 http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2077 Sorry, I meant to say "more sense in general to buy than to build." Sorry, I meant to say “more sense in general to buy than to build.”

]]> By: James Fallaw http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2076 James Fallaw Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:10:10 +0000 http://www.timpeter.com/blog/2008/02/26/build-vs-buy-which-works-best-guide-to-small-business-e-commerce/#comment-2076 My company is currently dealing with the buy v. build question, but in our case we have already built. We have existing B to C and B to B websites which are meeting our needs rather well. As with all products we have a list of feature requests and bugs which need to be addressed, but these are basically mature products. In spite of this, our CIO is reading the common wisdom out there that it makes more sense in general to build than to buy. Does anyone know of any research that has been done with companies that have existing solutions in place? It seems like a very different situation with a different ROI. My company is currently dealing with the buy v. build question, but in our case we have already built. We have existing B to C and B to B websites which are meeting our needs rather well. As with all products we have a list of feature requests and bugs which need to be addressed, but these are basically mature products.

In spite of this, our CIO is reading the common wisdom out there that it makes more sense in general to build than to buy. Does anyone know of any research that has been done with companies that have existing solutions in place? It seems like a very different situation with a different ROI.

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