Does your Small Business need a website?

By Carrie Webster Creative Director of Web Genesis Many small business owners still grapple with the possible benefits of investing in a website for their business. This article is aimed to inform those people of some of the reasons why your business can benefits from being online. Small business has been embracing the internet at a growing rate over the past five years, and this continues to grow. Not all small business will require an e-commerce solution, but this is certainly not the only reason to think about having a website for your business. Purely informational websites can benefit your business enormously. These websites are affordable, and some would swear, essential for your business. What a website can do for your small business • Reach new customers and support current customers • Save money on time spent responding to off-line enquiries. • Improve customer service • Save money on printed catalogs/brochures and traditional advertising. Use your website to promote all your products and services. Update your content on a regular basis with special offers and promotions to keep your visitors coming back. • Present your business with a professional image • Capture email addresses of your visitors with a simple newsletter subscribe featured on your home page. You can then market to a list of targeted potential customers with email newsletters. This will help generate valuable leads. • Take advantage of the growing number of people who only search for products and services online – customers that you would not usually get through your traditional marketing channels. • Your website is viewed by a highly targeted audience. Search engines direct traffic to you based on the description of products and services on your website. • Have your business open to the world 24/7, 365 days a year Other Marketing costs If a small business compares the costs associated with other forms of marketing, a simple website is very affordable in comparison. Below is a list of off-line marketing costs to consider: • Advertising in the Yellow Pages • Advertising in local or mainstream newspapers • Advertising in magazines • Printing stationery and brochures. When you ultimately weigh up the costs and possible cost-saving benefits of a website, it should then become clear whether or not your business will benefit from this investment. You need to also consider that a website is a communication tool, not an advertisement. If your business is doing well and you are just managing to handle all you enquiries, you may not need a website. If you have a requirement to have your information available to a wider range of potential customers, to provide useful information for existing customers, to access new customers, and compete at least equally with your competitors, perhaps it is time for a website! Web Genesis specializes in providing small business with high quality, yet affordable website design and development. For more information on our affordable website design and our other services, please visit our website at www.webgenesis.com.au See also: Making your website affordable.