Question: Why should my business have a website at all?

There are many reasons why any business should have a web site. Here is a good short list:

~To provide basic information that establishes credibility – just as a listing in the Yellow Pages shows you are serious about your business, having your own company domain reinforces your legitimacy as a serious business. (According to IntelliQuest 68% of US web users shop online.)

~To provide a map to your business location. Sometimes finding you is the hard part.

~To sell your products and/or services. Customers explore alternatives over the web before buying.

~To make business information available to customers and clients 24/7.

~To allow you to update your information as frequently or infrequently as you choose.

~To reach your local market. The web reaches the world, but customers shop it for local information as well.

~To reduce costs, use your site to answer your most frequently asked questions.

~To reduce costs, show your products over the web instead of printing brochures.

~To obtain feedback from customers. It is easy to see what your customers respond to on the website.

~To stay in contact with salespeople, customers and suppliers.

~To test market new services and products. You may also learn that you have a market you hadn’t thought of.

~To easily publicize specials you are offering. Couple this with e-mail promotion to your existing clients.

~To reach the media. Newsletter editors may like something on your site and refer to it in their articles. This is FREE advertising.

~To reach the specialized or international markets.

~To enhance your business relationships. Tell your clients about related businesses they might be interested in, and maybe get a referral fee for it!