Why Every Small Business Needs a Website
Operating a small business today is more competitive than it’s ever been. Even with a niche market, there will always be strong competitors in your immediate area. By having a website, you add validity, open up communications, and open up a huge potential market. Reasons to have a website: Your Competitor Has One To stay on top of an ever-changing market, most small business owners try to keep tabs on their competitors to gain insight on market trends, come up with new strategies and stay up to date with what others offer. If your competitors have a website, it's a strong indication you should too. Email - The Ultimate Contact and Networking Tool. Has anyone ever asked for your business email address? Are you using a personal email address from your ISP or a free email from somewhere like Yahoo? You can raise the level of prestige and branding for your business with an email address that includes your company name or services. 24-hour-a-day brochure You probably never thought about it like this, but a business website can be your 24-hour-a-day brochure. A website allows anyone to learn about your business and services – who you are, what you do, and how to find you – 24 hours a day! Instant Validity As a customer you want to know the person you buy from is legitimate and runs a reputable business. A well designed website helps create that feeling and leads to increased sales. Attract New Business through Search Engines Using the Internet to do preliminary research on a product or service is now the norm. 79% of Internet users and 38% of nonusers expect a business will have a Web site that gives them information about a product they are considering buying. In fact, 47% of all Internet users say that if a store provides product information online, even if it doesn’t sell goods at its Web site, they are more likely to go to the physical store to buy the product. They will find you using search engines such as Google and Dog Pile, and by using directories such as Yahoo. Sell Your Services Online You don’t have to be Amazon.com to have an online store. If you have a retail product that can be shipped via UPS, USPS, or FedEx, you're a great candidate for a small online store. A Website Can Open International Markets A website can be accessed 24 hours a day from anywhere on Earth with an Internet connection. From the moment your site launches, you can do business all over the globe. The truth is that all small businesses should have a website. It doesn’t need to be large; and, it doesn’t need to cost thousands of dollars. A small simple yet professional website is all that is needed to get your name out there and provide general information to potential customers. Not only will your business project a professional image, but you will be able to expand your business reach beyond your own backyard and increase your sales as a result. The annual, recurring costs for having a website are minimal compared to the costs of print advertising. For approximately $90 - $150 annually for domain registration and webhosting, plus the initial costs for the web design, your small business can have it’s own piece of real estate on the Internet, a website.
Janet Edkins ¤ 1709 Waterview Trail ¤ Knoxville ¤ TN 37922 ¤ 865 966 3271 ¤ w w w .JayDesigns.net