When not to have a web site?
Let me explain the reason against first. It is better to have no web site than a shoddy one! A website creates an impression of your business. A messy, difficult to navigate site with spelling mistakes and poor creation will have more of a detrimental effect on your business than not having a site. A small, simple, but perfectly formed site is preferable over one that is messy, confusing and jam-packed.
Why you most definitely should have a website even though you are a small business?
People expect every business to have a website.
I am certain that your potential customers will be surfing the net looking for a product or service just like yours. So if you are not visible you are missing a trick. You can also bet that your competitors are out there already. If you dont have a listed website then you are not competing for these potential new customers.
Potential customers will check out your website as part of a process
Someone may have heard about your company (maybe via a friend), what do they do next? Before they make direct contact they want to find out more detail – maybe what your customers say about you or to see your products or services, or your prices? Once they have been reassured by your site they will then progress to the next step in the process – ring you, email you or call in.
It’s a point of contact or reference.
It may be as simple as they want your telephone number. Make it easy for them to find it!
Having a web site is cost effective marketing.
The benefits of having a website is you can have pages upon pages of information about your products, services and the company. Imagine how much this would cost using more traditional marketing media? You can get a website up and running for a few hundred pounds. It is great value for money.
A web site is working for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
We are all so busy nowadays that people will search the web in the evening and on weekends. A website advantage is that your virtual ‘shop window’ is now open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Customers seek out reviews.
We all love hearing what other people think and say and often a good review will help convince us to make the purchase. Your web site is a great opportunity to showcase testimonials and reviews from your happy chatty customers.
So yes, you need a website to stay competitive, so people can find you, understand your products, read and view lots of excellent reviews and understand that you are an authority in your field. A tiny business can have as much presence online as a huge company – what are you waiting for? If you need help getting a website up and running drop me a line!