Ifirst got hooked on action flicks somewhere around the early 90’s, when I watched a fresh-off-the-press pirated copy of “Tango and Cash” for the first time.
For a young fella growing up in a fairly grim late 80/early 90’s Dublin devoid of any real excitement, discovering an illicit supply line to a pirate’s booty of action flicks via a friend’s older brother was like stumbling across the 3rd Secret of Fatima.
We might as well have discovered the keys to the kingdom itself.
During the summer of 1991, deliriously gonzo’ed on a sugar high of Stinger bars, Sherberts and Sunkist, we ignored the blazing sunshine melting all unsundry around us and tore into our newly discovered stash, voraciously consuming classics like Predator, Robocop and of course Tango and Cash.
Straight away, I loved Tango and Cash.
I must have watched it about 30 times over that summer.
I annoyed the crap out of my friends reciting it’s cheesy one liners.
I delivered serious damage to the heads of my Mam’s VHS player just from that video alone.
One of many “buddy” flicks popular around that time, Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell play a couple of cops who’re framed by an elusive drug kingpin (played brilliantly by a maniacal Jack Palance ) because they’re hurting his trade just a little bit too much.
And it’s by framing the pair Palance really shows his chops as a baddie.
Deep within his lair, Palance and a couple of his goons discuss what to do with the meddling cops.
The trigger-happy goons are all too quick to do away with Tango and Cash, reckoning it would be “quicker and easier.”
However, Palance, being the wily old kingpin he is, hasn’t ran a multi-mullion drug operation for years and not learnt a thing or two.
He tells the goonage “quick and easy” is “how you bake a cake, clean a toilet bowl or shop by mail.”
But it’s not how a psychopathic kingpin runs a multi-million business such as his. No way.
Instead of just killing them and being done with it, Palance realises it makes more sense to frame them, for murder. By killing them, he risks all out war with the cops.
But because he wishes to do things correctly, and achieve a better result, he sets them up, sending their asses to jail, leaving him free to drug deal with impunity.
I often think of Tango and Cash whenever I hear of someone wanting a “quick and easy” website.
Which is fine.
Nothing wrong with that at all.
If “quick and easy” gives you an a definite, tangible ROI on your investment, then great.
It’s done it’s job.
But more than not, the “quick and easy” approach is a false economy.
A website that is cheap, basic and providing little in the way of sales traction maybe a good idea in theory, but ultimately it’s something that will produce little value other than the odd straggler who crosses its path.
It’s a bit like buying a cheap ’98 Nissan Micra and hoping it’ll last the distance.
Odds are it won’t, and it will quickly outlive its usefulness.
Before you know it, the timing belt has snapped and the head gasket has blown.
And the bargain you bought from that nice old dear off Done Deal, suddenly turns into a voraciously hungry, all-consuming money pit.
The same applies to a cheap website not set up to sell. Visitors may arrive if they feel like it.
And if they arrive, they may not be compelled to use your services.
You won’t have a clue what sets you apart from your competition.
They won’t know “what’s it in for them.”
There will be nothing there to heal the throbbing pain they’ll be experiencing.
And because of that, they’ll turn around and leave to go to somewhere where they will be heard.
To a business that’s taken the time to understand their prospects fears, woes and worries by demonstrating via their website they do understand.
That they do care.
That they do listen.
As opposed to having a “quick and easy” website with some sparse contact details and a brief “about us” page.
Where there’s little to show you really know their pain.
Or can help them relieve it.
If the “quick and easy” approach to web design makes you all queasy and feel like you’re about to be framed for murder, then you need to talk to someone who understands your pain.
You need to talk to someone who gets your need for your site to make money. You need to talk to me, Keith Commins, on 087-7426631 to discuss how to make that happen.