There are still people wondering whether their business really needs a website. Like many small business owners, you may believe your business cannot benefit from having a website or that a website is not within your budget. Or maybe you think because you don't use a computer, neither do your potential customers. These are misconceptions.
A website will allow your business or organization to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Having a website is the equivalent of having an employee working around the clock - even weekends and holidays! Many people surf the web in the evening when most businesses are closed, which is perfectly fine because websites never take a break. If you have a Website they can find, you are just as good as open. You can always be there for your customers.
If you are in direct competition with another business that has a website, they have a clear advantage - especially if they are adequately marketing their website. The sooner you gain a presence on the web, the better. Your competitors know this too. Increasingly, your clients (and potential clients) are making their decisions based on the standard of your website. A usable and engaging website can help to level the playing field between small and large companies.
Sooner or later, someone's going to type your name or business into a search engine. What do you want them to find? Nothing, or worse yet, your competition. These are people who want to find you. They are looking for what you are selling, and if you don't have a Website then you're letting them down – they expect to find you online. For many people, you might as well not exist if you can't be found with a search engine. Not having a Website is like not bothering to get listed in the phone book. Can you run your business without a phone? In this "Information Age" we live in being online is vital.
People from across the street and across the border have access to your products and services from the comfort of their own space.
With a professional website, you will improve your overall impression to the public and, in turn, your customers will develop a greater sense of confidence in your organization.
roviding information to your customers takes time, whether it’s on the phone, face-to-face, in a brochure, or in emails. With an online catalogue you can provide lots of information about your products and services. Once your website is up and running, it is available to your customers indefinitely, saving you time. And what is time? Time is money!
ost small businesses are only able to market to their town and surrounding communities. With a website, you can take your goods and services across America and around the world, if you so choose.
You get feedback from your websites, using feedback form, based on customer feedback you can improve your business and you can get customer trust.
Let’s say that your website name is mybusiness.com. Using email address you@mybusiness.com is a good way to promote your website, because people will guess your website based on the email address. I know there are other ways to do this, but by having a website you can have your own email you@mybusiness.com. It is more professional and easier to remember. I know you love your yourname12345@gmail.com , but it doesn’t really resonate with customers.
A highly effective way to use a website is to use it as a recruitment tool. You can obviously use it to post vacancies, but you may also consider placing a more general invitation to send resumes. This way you may already know the right person for the job before a vacancy even occurs.