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Thursday, September 03, 2009
Why you need a website
Websites are important for every business - even if you are just starting out. In today's environment it is as essential as the name of your business or your phone number. Yet research indicates that only 50 percent of small businesses in the U.S. actually have websites. There are a number of reasons why your entrepreneurial venture needs a website.
First and foremost, it allows you to set-up a store front. Even if you cannot afford to rent physical space you can still exist online and market your goods and services. In addition, having an address on the Internet (a URL) gives you a place to describe your business and provides a place for customers (or investors) to find you.
A second reason to create a website for your business is that it is an inexpensive way to advertise. Most companies can create an online presence for as little as 5 to 10 dollars a month. When this is compared to other forms of advertising, websites offer very good value to money spent.
Websites also allow you to establish a place to provide support for customers & answer simple questions like where you are located, what products or services you sell, and how to contact you. This can help the small business owner save time by leaving you free to focus on business.
Having a website allows your business to remain open 24/7 (without hiring a graveyard shift). If you provide email forms on your website customers, clients, investors or partners can contact you when it's convenient for them. In addition, potential customers can find out information about what you sell and how you sell it at all hours. It also allows you to answer frequently asked questions when those questions arise, not just when you are in the office.
Having a website also allows you to have presence globally instead of limiting yourself to your local region. My company sells a software service that we targeted to a US audience. Yet having a website allowed us to attract clients (and potential clients) in the UK, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, the United Arab Erimates, Lebanon, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina and the Phillipines.
Finally, a website is essential to establishing your businesses' credibility. Creating a well designed website makes you seem like a "real business" to the customers, partners and investors that look for you online. Your website is the first place people go to research your company and find out whether they want to do business with you.
First and foremost, it allows you to set-up a store front. Even if you cannot afford to rent physical space you can still exist online and market your goods and services. In addition, having an address on the Internet (a URL) gives you a place to describe your business and provides a place for customers (or investors) to find you.
A second reason to create a website for your business is that it is an inexpensive way to advertise. Most companies can create an online presence for as little as 5 to 10 dollars a month. When this is compared to other forms of advertising, websites offer very good value to money spent.
Websites also allow you to establish a place to provide support for customers & answer simple questions like where you are located, what products or services you sell, and how to contact you. This can help the small business owner save time by leaving you free to focus on business.
Having a website allows your business to remain open 24/7 (without hiring a graveyard shift). If you provide email forms on your website customers, clients, investors or partners can contact you when it's convenient for them. In addition, potential customers can find out information about what you sell and how you sell it at all hours. It also allows you to answer frequently asked questions when those questions arise, not just when you are in the office.
Having a website also allows you to have presence globally instead of limiting yourself to your local region. My company sells a software service that we targeted to a US audience. Yet having a website allowed us to attract clients (and potential clients) in the UK, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, the United Arab Erimates, Lebanon, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina and the Phillipines.
Finally, a website is essential to establishing your businesses' credibility. Creating a well designed website makes you seem like a "real business" to the customers, partners and investors that look for you online. Your website is the first place people go to research your company and find out whether they want to do business with you.
Labels: website
