The importance of having a website
How often do you search in the online yellow pages for a particular business, only to find that they do not have a website? How often do members of the business community hand you a business card with an email address @yahoo.com or the like? In today’s business world it is amazing to see just how many businesses still do not have a web presence.
A website is a fairly inexpensive business tool that serves a purpose for both you and your clients. For you, it is a fairly inexpensive way to advertise.
Once you have a website you can list your website address on your business cards, flyers and pamphlets, bulletin boards and even the company sign that you have hanging on the side of your building. In fact, you can save money on these other marketing tools by having a website. For example, you can feature an electronic version of your catalog on your website, with no limit on size. You can describe all of your products and services in greater detail because space on your website is significantly less expensive then full color print. And what happens if you need to make a change, such as if you delete or add products or services? Are you going to reprint all of your printed marketing materials? On a website, you have the ability to make the necessary changes at no additional costs.
For your clients, they will have the convenience of reading about your company and the services and products you offer on their own time. In today’s world, people lead very busy lives when you consider the commitment of their careers and family. By having a well presented website, you lend yourself to the convenience of your clients. They can come to you when they want to. If you add a “Contact Us” link onto your website, it allows your customers to contact you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can drive traffic to your site to learn all about your company and what you have to offer. Your clients can get a much better idea about your business because you can feature multiple pages on your site with greater details about the different aspects of your company, products and services. You can even provide directions to your place of business, making it easier for customers to find you.
By having a web presence, you expand your market significantly. You make yourself available to people in other time zones and even across the globe rather than the limited market audience you can reach in your local geographical area. And at a fraction of the cost! With a website there is less need to send out expensive mailings to purchased mail lists that are often unreliable. Even those mailings that do make it to the target audience are thrown away without ever being looked at.
The morale of the story is this – whether you are a small business owner, inventor, entrepreneur, artist, author, musician or band, you need a website. In the world we live in increasingly people are turning to the Internet to find information, and if you don’t have a presence on the Internet you will not only be making it more difficult for people to find you, but you will be sending the wrong message.
Full article can be found here