"Top 7 Reasons to Have a Business Website"

The internet boom of the 20th century showed us that even the smallest of business needed a website to compete in the market. As we entered the 21st century, this became even more apparent as everyday people gained internet access and started searching for products on services online. Over 90% of all American families have a home computer, and some form of internet access, whether it be dial up or high speed broadband. Out of those 90%, over 65% will search online first when making a new purchase or hiring someone’s service. If those numbers alone do not convince you to build a website for your business, then these reasons should:

1) Sell your products online- The ability to sell your products online, typically using an online shopping cart, could greatly increase your sales. Just think, your products will be seen in more than one place, give you greater exposure. Plus, the overhead of displaying your products in an online shopping cart is FAR less than in a conventional store.

2) Give information that you would not normally be able too- You do not want to clutter your physical store with posters that talk about the history of your business, your mission, policies, etc. If your physical store looks cluttered, then it will hurt your business. A website can be organized in a neat manner with any and all the information you want displayed. Plus, providing information about your business will make the customer feel more informed which in turn will make them more likely to do business with you.

3) Websites are global- A website is globally accessible, provided your domain name is known or searchable. Can you name one of form of advertising that is available to anyone in the world, 24 hours a day? You may gain clientele that you would not normally be able to market too in the “real world.”

4) Website are cheap- Sure, initially it will cost you some money to create and setup your website, but once your website is up, it will remain up as long as you keep paying for hosting and your domain name, which costs 25 dollars a month. You cannot place an ad in the local newspaper for 25 dollars a month.

5) Clients will be able to view your store and contact you 24 hours a day- Your business probably has set hours in which you are open. Once you close your doors for the day, no other customer can come in and make a purchase. With a website your products are available for purchase 24 hours a day.  You just process the orders at your convenience.

6) Minimize customer problems and questions- Again, this goes back to the information situation. If a client has a problem or question about your products or services, instead of tying up your phone line and time, they can go online and read the information that you have provided, or at least direct them to a website that can help them (ex: If you sold them a Sony walkman, you can direct them to the Sony website for any troubleshooting.)

7) Chances are your completion has a website- The amount of businesses with a website is on the rise. With numbers reaching 80%, you cannot afford to NOT have a website, because chances are your competition already has one.

Cost of running a business

There are many costs associated with running a business.  In order to attract new customers and retain your current customers, you must advertise, provide information about your business (store hours, contact information, product information, location, etc.), sell your products, collect customer feedback, provide support, and many more tasks.  What if you could automate as many business tasks as possible and provide better service while creating more free time to run your business?  After the website is setup, for less than $1.00 per day, your website can do the work for you!

If you consider just the cost of advertising your business, there are many ways to reach your customers.  Running a professional website costs less than many popular other methods of advertising.  Plus you can make changes or add updates to the website yourself for free!

How many advertisements do you see that reference the company’s website on them?  You can run ads which reference your website and provide more detailed and up to date information there.  Remember, information on your website can be changed instantly whereas published advertisements can not.