Your Business Needs A Website

You may have asked yourself at one time or another, "Does my business really need a website?" In order to fully answer that question, it's important to understand what can be accomplished with an internet website.

Increased Sales Opportunities

You don't have to be a genius to discern that the internet has become an enormous commercial vehicle over the last ten to twelve years. A website can be an extension of your sales force, or in the case of sites like Amazon - your only sales force. With a website your business is always open and providing continuous sales opportunities to a global market. You'll fully realize what this means the first time you get an order at 3:00 a.m. from across the country.

Make Your Presence Known

But even if you do not plan to sell goods online, a website is an indispensable marketing tool in today's world. Think about it, many people can't recall the last time they used a local telephone book. I know I can't. Why not? Because, simply put, the phone book has nearly been replaced with search engines and directories like Google and Yahoo!

So, if you own an auto body shop in Toledo, but don't have a website, what's the likelihood of a potential customer finding your phone number, address, hours of operation, or list of services when typing "Toledo auto body" in Google? That's right! ZERO. But they will find a competitor in Toledo.

The internet is the new Yellow Pages. A website can be a very cost-effective form of advertising when compared to other ad formats, including the once trusty phone book. If you don't have a website, you're sure to be losing business to other companies that do.

Not Just Anything Will Do

That being said, just having "a website" is not enough. To be taken seriously, you need to have a professional-looking, usable website. It's almost better to have no website than to have one that is poorly designed or looks amateurish when compared to other companies' sites. Just as with anything else, first impressions go a long way.

And a professional website does not need to be expensive. For instance, my company offers web design services starting at well under $1000. Granted, the lower priced options lack features such as an e-commerce shopping cart. However, you will definitely have a professional quality, four or five page website that details who you are, what you do, and how to get in touch with you. Many web design firms will also host your site for well under a dollar a day.

So, for an initial cost of under a $1000 and a couple hundred a year in hosting fees, you can have a professional-looking presence on the web. Last time I checked a yellow pages ad could cost hundreds to thousands of dollars per month depending on the size of your community and/or ad placement.

So if you keep putting off having a website, you're ignoring a cost-effective marketing vehicle that's become essential in today's society.