One of my biggest pet peeves as both a retailer and collector is when a diecast manufacturer neglects to update their web site. Don’t even get me started why some companies fail to have an Internet presence at all. That, in 2017, is highly inexcusable and inexplicable, something that can be built for possibly a few hundred dollars by a professional if they don’t have the expertise in-house. When new tooling costs upwards of $250,000 or more to create, that’s a drop in the fiscal bucket, no matter how you slice it
No, what bothers me to no end is when a manufacturer goes the extra mile and obviously plunks down big bucks to create their virtual storefront, only to let it languish in Internet purgatory for months on end with a nary a word said. If we had to break it down, web sites are, without question, the cheapest form of communicating with one’s audience, able to put a public face on their merchandise and direction for all the world to see at any time of day. Its easier to update than sending out monthly mailings, and its cheaper than having someone call a vendor to keep them informed about what’s going on. Yet several key model makers seem to overlook this vehicle on a regular basis, either not realizing how important the site is to existing and new viewers, not caring, or perhaps lacking the technical expertise to update it themselves without calling in a professional. Trust me, it isn’t that hard, and once you learn the nuances, can be refreshingly simple and enjoyable to maintain. C’mon guys. Some of you are missing the boat by not keeping your web site current, and its something that could be addressed and fixed in the blink of an eye.