Street Smart Guide To Small Business Marketing
Build a Website for Your Small Business
Build a Website For Your Small Business—It's a Must!
 More
than 1.4 billion people worldwide have access to the World Wide Web.
Whatever small business you're in, it's hard to justify ignoring that
many potential customers. Even if you only cater to a local population,
and especially if you provide services for a niche industry, it's
important to establish your presence in the business world by building
a website.
Top 10 Reasons All Small Businesses Should Have a Website:
1. Authentication:
Most small business owners I know, myself included,
get a number of referrals by word-of-mouth. Generally, a past customer
will give a potential customer our name only. Nowadays, the number one
way people look up contact information is by typing in the business
name in a search box online. Having a website confirms that your
company is reputable, open for business, and truly exists!
2. Networking:
When your company puts up a website, the networking
possibilities increase tenfold, maybe even a hundredfold. The
opportunities for other businesses, directories, and individuals to
link to your website and advertise you for free are remarkable. On your
business card, you can add your site, online store, or even your e-mail
address. Sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn also let you link your
site and promote it free of charge.
3. Messaging:
A phone book ad or listing often doesn't give you
the space to say what you want to say, how you want to say it. With a
website, you're not limited to yellow pages or black-and-white ads that
don't fit your message. A website lets you customize your message to
your customers exactly the way you want it.
4. Customer Service and Accessibility:
Customers don't always think about your products
during your hours of operation. Offering a website is a convenient way
to answer questions and be "accessible" when they want to shop or learn
more about your products and services. A website can also offer other
customer service information, such as your return policy, hours, or new
products and offerings.
If you're thinking that a website has to cost a lot of money, think again. Start with a free blog, for example, like Wordpress.com or Blogger.com.
You can, for free, customize the page to include all of your business
information. And, if you want, you can purchase a domain name
(www.yourcompanyname.com) for about $10-$15/year at GoDaddy.com.
If you know nothing about websites, a college intern, friend, or even hired freelancer (Elance.com
is a great service) will get the job done for a price that any small
business owner can afford. The days of paying thousands for a simple
website are over!
5. Create a Buzz, Heighten Interest:
Members of the press and media use the Internet as
their primary source for immediate information. With a website, you'll
be able to create a buzz around your products that you can change or
update daily! Twitter is one new way to reach the press or media
easily, and it's free to link a tweet to your own business website to
promote something new.
6.Stay Current and Relevant:
 In
this day in age, anyone without a website seems antiquated. Unless it's
your business strategy to seem stuck in past decades, even a simple
website will show customers that your business isn't stagnant and you
plan to continue offering products and services that will fit their
changing needs in today's business environment.
7. Sell More!
When a friend of mine launched her website, she
immediately gained clients in other states and even internationally.
She also found that many of her existing store customers actually
preferred shopping online. With a web store, or at least a listing of
your products and services, customers will have a basic knowledge of
what they want before they call, so you spend more time selling and
less time explaining!
8. Be Interactive:
Customer feedback, comments, live chats, and contact
forms are all ways that customers and potential clients can participate
at your website. The interactive nature of the Internet allows you to
make sales, generate leads, and get valuable feedback even when you're
not open for business.
9. Reach a Broader Audience:
Who doesn't want more customers? Without a website,
you're not able to reach a lot of people. Especially if your business
products or services serve a niche market or very specific type of
customer, you need a website to be visible to the very people who are
trying desperately to find exactly what you offer. Even if you
aren't a niche business, you should establish some kind of presence on
the Web. Many potential clients check the Internet first, no matter
what they're looking for.
10. Save Time:
Do you spend a lot of time on the phone answering
questions like, "What are your hours?" Do you pay staff to field these?
By publishing a website, approximately 80% of customer questions can be
answered without them having to contact you.
You'll waste less time answering questions on the phone if you have a Frequently Asked Questions page on your website.
Regardless of your reasons for not having a website, make it a goal
this year to have one; or tweak your existing one to make sure it's
working to your advantage. The bottom line is that without one, your
business is unlikely to survive in the global sea of commerce.
What's Next
Next In This Guide
Part 10:
 Using Social Media to Promote Your Small Business - Using social media outlets can be a great, inexpensive marketing strategy for small businesses on a budget.
Previous In This guide
Part 8:
 Getting Listed in Directories
- Don't play hide-and-seek with your customers! By ensuring that your
business is listed in several appropriate directories, you won't miss
out on customers who can't find you or don't know you exist.
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