A
website can be an important
marketing tool for almost every
small business, but there are
a few exceptions. If you have
as many customers as your business
can handle and you have no desire
to grow larger, then there's
no point in marketing on the
Internet. But that is not the
case for every business!
There's no question
that a website is more mission-critical
for some businesses than others.
Companies trying to reach customers
in different locations (think
hotels or tourist attractions)
or who have products that can
be shipped to customers far
away (think flowers, handmade
dolls, etc.) obviously need
to have an online presence.
But local businesses
(dry cleaners or shoe repair
shops, for example) also can
benefit from a website that
shows their location, lists
their services or offers special
promotions.
And to those who
think they don't need a compelling
website because they serve other
businesses rather than retail
consumers. Many businesses search
for new suppliers online —
and order from them that way,
too.
In short, if you
want more customers, you should
be online, regardless of your
industry.
 Here
are some other reasons to have
a website:
| 1. |
Easier
to Remember! |
| |
Some people
can remember telephone numbers
really well, but most people
remember a name or phrase
better. A catchy web address
is all a potential customer
needs to remember to find
out more about your business. |
| 2. |
Easy
to Update! |
| |
Your website
can give the potential customer
as much information as you
want. It is current, up
to the minute, and you can
include pictures, maps,
coupons, and personal messages.
It's cheaper to update a
website than to update a
brochure. |
| 3. |
Customer Convenience! |
| |
A website
is for your customer's convenience.
They can explore your website
in their own time frame.
They no longer have to drive
to your place of business
to see what you are talking
about. Your store is open
24 hours a day, 7 days a
week! |
| 4. |
Increase Market Area! |
| |
You can increase
your effective market area.
People anywhere in the world,
can find your business with
a search engine on the Internet,
visit your website, and
become a customer. You are
no longer limited to customers
within driving distance. |
| 5. |
Stability! |
| |
You may
move your place of business,
change your phone number,
or even change your hours,
but your web address is
always there, your website
is always open. |
| 6. |
Save Yourself Time! |
| |
Do you
get a dozen calls asking
for stuff you don't carry?
Do you spend time describing
a product on the phone
when you could be doing
a dozen other things?
Direct those calls to
the picture and product
description on your website.
Let your website screen
some of those phone calls
for you. |
| 7. |
Build
Loyal Customers! |
| |
A satisfied
customer can easily check
a website to see what's
new and look for sales.
Include information on new
products and tips on their
use. Your customers will
come back again and again
because you add that personal
touch to supporting them. |
| 8. |
Millions
of Web Surfers! |
| |
You know
that the Internet is attracting
more and more consumers
every day. If you could
move your storefront to
a location that had 50 million
or more in walk-by traffic
everyday, what are the chances
you would get more customers? |
Having
a website is the one form of
marketing your business that
just keeps on giving! But how
do you know if you need a website?
Well, with the
amount of information that is
available with just a few keystrokes
or clicks of the mouse, why
wouldn’t you want your
business’ information
to be included?
More and more
people and businesses use the
Internet to find information.
Whether it is locally or internationally,
the Internet is the one place
where they are likely to find
what they are looking for. Unless,
of course, they are looking
for you or your product and
you don’t have a site.
Having a website
allows your business to advertise
24 hours a day, seven days a
week and it is available whenever
someone is in need of information
on your product or services.
The elements you include on
your website are a determining
factor for how successful a
marketing device it will be
for you.
For personal websites,
you can include everything that
your heart desires. You can
have a site that shows off your
favorite cat or a site that
includes everything you ever
wanted to know about Limburger
cheese. The subject choices
are unlimited.
However, a business
site should be more refined.
Get to the point and provide
a wealth of information about
your product or service. But,
ensure that you leave a little
to the imagination. Inspire
them to WANT to contact you
for a little for more information
and then make the sale!
And, on that note,
make sure your contact information
is readily available on your
site. There is nothing worse
than peaking your site visitor’s
interest and then making them
search for a means to contact
you. Believe me, many people
will simply give up if they
can’t find what they are
looking for and go onto another
site in hopes of an easier route.
Navigation is
another key element. Getting
around your site should be straightforward
and painless for your visitors.
Provide links from each page
to all your key pages. Some
sites can become quite large,
so links from every page to
every page would make the site
quite crowded and monotonous.
But, make sure you don’t
leave your visitor at a dead
end.
Limit the use
of unnecessary graphics and
pictures. Of course, if you
are selling a product that needs
to be seen, such as clothing,
these pictures should be included
but try to keep them as small
as possible. This will keep
the loading time down on your
site. However, if you sell automotive
aftermarket products, or any
other large line of products,
don’t put a picture of
every brake line and fuse on
your site. Including too many
graphics will slow down your
site and waiting for pictures
to load is not something that
most busy people have time for.
Again, they will go somewhere
else for help.
As for advertising
other pages on your site, there
are many avenues than can be
used, including banner exchanges.
These are a great form of getting
additional free advertising,
but don’t load down your
site with an infinite amount
of banners or links. If possible,
dedicate a page to display your
banners, webrings and favorite
links. This will help reduce
the clutter on your information
pages.
These hints are
just the tip of the iceberg.
There are many more ways to
make your site appealing, more
than can be listed in a single
article. Research and using
an experienced web designer
can make your presence on the
Internet appealing and informative.
Remember, above
all else, make your site with
your visitor in mind, whether
they are Internet newbies or
seasoned surfers. Your site
needs to attract new visitors
and it needs to keep them coming
back.
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