Today, URLs are as common as phone numbers for most businesses.

Would you consider NOT listing your business in the yellow pages? If the answer is no, then you may also need a website simply to maintain a corporate presence and make yourself accessible to your clients. Unlike a bricks & mortar shop, a website can have its doors open 24/7. Unlike a brochure or magazine advertisement, a website can be relied on for the most up-to-date information.

Would you rely on a single brochure to drive all of your sales?

Probably not, but used in conjunction with a great sales team and an integrated marketing campaign it can be a useful tool. The same applies for a website. It can easily become your most powerful customer management and sales tool - after your own staff, of course.

A website can:

• create a corporate presence - if you are a large company clients would expect to be able to find out about you online
• sell products directly to the public
• generate and qualify leads
• gather feedback to help you improve your product or service
• compete with big business
• extend your trading hours
• expand your market
• save time by answering common questions online

How will a website help my specific business?


Restaurant/cafe


A website may help you attract diners from further than your local area. It may also help bring in repeat business by advertising promotions, specials and menu changes. Customers may use your website to compare you with other restaurants in the local area to see if the atmosphere and menu is what they are looking for find out where you are look for specific items on your menu make a booking read reviews by other customers.

If you showcase your atmosphere and menu you may attract diners from further than your local area.


Professional services


Do you often find yourself answering the same questions? Would you like more qualified leads? Do you need to inform your customers about latest procedures or changes? If so, a website might benefit you by

• Saving time & money - It can answer the most common questions customers might have
• Getting you more qualified leads - the right information on your website can help your customers decide if you are a good fit for their needs before they call (and vice versa)
• Helping reassure customers and potential customers, particularly if they are about to take on something new
• ensuring clients have access to the most recent information

Retail


Would you like to extend your reach? Are you selling a niche product with a limited market? Would you like an online store to expand your bricks & mortar business without the expense of building commercial premises.


A website might help you by:

• Answering questions about opening hours and holidays
• Allowing people to order or buy 24/7
• Constantly having an up-to-date list of available products
• Opening yourself to a global market

Trade

Do you spend a lot of time answering the same questions? Do you wish you could screen some enquiries to make sure they are a good fit for your business? Do you see people make the same mistakes over and over again?


If so, a website might benefit you by

• Ensuring you are quoting on jobs which are a good match for your skills
• Giving the customers the information they need to help you complete the job
• Displaying your product or services or awards
• Helping customers choose colours, styles and designs
• Making user manuals or maintenance guidelines easily accessible

So should your business have a website, even if your business is small and sells products or services you don't think can be sold online? Yes, if you have a business, you should have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt.

Also, don't be so quick to dismiss your product as one that can't be sold online. Nowadays, there's very little that can't be sold over the internet. More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you name it. If you can imagine it, someone will figure out how to sell it online. You should at the very least have a presence on the web so that customers, potential employees, business partners and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer.

That said, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your site looks like it was designed by a barrel of colourblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.

One of the great things about the internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression. With a well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them.

When it comes to benefiting from a website, size does not matter. It does not matter if you are a one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't have a website, you're losing business to other companies that do.

Here's the exception to the rule: It's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your site speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful site for our customers!" or it screams, "Hey, look, I let my 10-year-old nephew design my site. Good luck finding anything!"

Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure you treat it as such.

We live in an extremely visual society.The design of your website must be eye catching and it also must reflect your business identity. Knowing your target market, your client and customer base is important for me to know so that I can create a website that reflects you and your business.