Web DevelopmentIt's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your site speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful site for our customers!" or it screams, "Hey, look, I let my 10-year-old nephew design my site. Good luck finding anything!"DO I REALLY NEED A WEBSITE? Q: My business is very small, just me and two employees, and our product really can't be sold online. Do I really need a website? A: That's a good question. In fact, it's one of the most important and most frequently asked questions of the digital business age. Yes, if you have a business, you should have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt. Internet marketing research firms predict that the number of online consumers will grow at a rate of 30 to 50 percent over the next few years. These numbers alone should be enough to persuade you that your business should have a website. Let me clarify one point: I'm not saying you should put all your efforts into selling your wares over the internet, though if your product lends itself to easy online sales, you should certainly be considering it. The point to be made here is that you should at the very least have a presence on the web so that customers, potential employees, business partners and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer. That said, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your site looks like it was designed by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost. NO SMALL OR BIG BUSINESS One of the great things about the internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression. With a well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them. You also mention that yours is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you're a one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't have a website, you're losing business to other companies that do. IMPORTANT Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure you treat it as such. Reference: Knox, T. (2004). Why You Need a Website, Retrieved on November 5, 2005 from Entrepreneur.com: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,311640,00.html DOES YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS NEED A WEBSITE? IF YOU WANT TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS, THE ANSWER'S A NO-BRAINER. September 19, 2005 By Roy Williams Websites are perhaps the most overlooked vehicle of advertising for local, owner-operated businesses. Yes, every retailer needs one. Every dentist, lawyer, accountant and minister needs one. Every cafe, restaurant, coffee shop and nightclub needs one. Every wholesale supply company needs one. I'm not suggesting that all these businesses need to actually transact business online. I'm only saying that everyone listed in yesterday's Yellow Pages needs to also be available on the internet today--it's where your customers expect to find you. Properly constructed, a website allows your prospects to gather the information they need from the privacy of their own computer monitors. What are the questions your salespeople answer virtually every day? And how, exactly, would your best salesperson phrase those answers on his or her best day? This is the information that needs to be available 24/7 on your site. Think of your site as a relationship deepener, a half step between your advertising and your front door. Do you suppose it's easier to convince customers to visit your web site or to convince them to get in their car, drive to your store, park that car and walk in your door? |
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