Why does every small business need a website?

01. Dec, 2008 0 Comments

I’m going to open Lukevdp.com by addressing it’s very premise. That is, why does every small business need a website?

Ok, ok, so the title is slightly exagerated. I’m not going to pretend that your local milk bar will benefit from a website. Having said that, I think the following reasons I put forth will resonate for the majority of businesses.

Q. Why does every small business need a website?

To be found
To sell
To establish a brand
To increase customer service

1. To be found

More and more people are using the internet to search for products and services, and a Yellow Pages listing no longer means that your customers can find you.

To be found by your customers online, you have to:

a) have a website
b) have your website rank highly in Google

Try this for your own business: Go to google, and type in [your product] [your location]. Do you show up on the front page of Google? Not showing up? Over the coming months, I’ll be writing strategies, resources and tips to help you achieve the visibility you need.

2. To sell

Everyone is in business to make money, and increasing sales is a fine way to go about it.

A well constructed website can act as a salesperson 24/7. Product information, availability, pricing, answers to questions, photos and more can be given to targeted prospects who are looking to buy, when they are looking to buy.

If needed, a website can also assist or automate the sales transaction.

It is not uncommon for website sales to quickly surpass the sales from a retail store.

3. To establish a brand

The minute a visitor comes to your website, they begin to form opinions of your business from it. Whether or not it is accurate or not, visitors will make assumptions on the quality of your products and services that will ultimately affect their buying decision.

You can use this to your advantage! A website allows you to express what you are and what you’re about to your customer. It allows you to differentiate yourself from your competitors, and prove to your customers that you’re the best choice.

A website also allows for greater ongoing interaction and communication with your customers. A great example of a low cost tool to keep in touch with customers is a monthly email newsletter.

How much is going on in your business that your customers have no idea about?

4. To increase customer service

A small business website is more than just an advert – It is a communication tool that can be used to in creative ways to fulfil customer needs. In that way, a website can serve as a great customer service tool. A “quick quote” tool on the website might save a 15 minute phone call, a page with frequently asked questions might help your customer estimate the shipping cost and time of a product, or possibly even a support forum allows discussion on how to best utilise a product.

Summary

Every small business needs a website because it is an invaluable and unmatcheable tool to be visible to your customers, and to fill their needs.

Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll be writing articles that go into more depth, and provide tips and solutions on how to develop and improve your own website. If you think you would be interested in the upcoming articles, subscribe to dootch.com, and receive them in your email.

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