Why Your Business Needs A Professional
Website
The Internet is the fastest growing form of communications,
advertising and product support – nearly 85 million
adults in the US alone use the Internet to research topics,
locate items, get product support, compare prices and to
buy products and services; all in the convenience of their
own home or business and on their own time.¥
(1) The Internet, dollar per dollar, is proven
to be the MOST cost-effective promotional, informational
and advertising vehicle for your product or service:
At current prices versus return on investment,
it is very affordable to have a professional
and custom website developed and maintained.
A simple comparison yields that a website is
considerably less expensive than a Yellow Pages
ad, less expensive than developing and printing
brochures and catalogs, less expensive than staffing
phones and stuffing envelopes.
(2) Your competitor has a website - and you do
not. Why?: Millions of people worldwide are using
the Internet as a substitute for the Yellow Pages
or any other form of tracking down information
they need. Due to the size of the Internet, one
can find what one is looking for over 98% of
the time. Millions of businesses are on the Internet
and are receiving inquiries. Your competitors
are on the Internet. If you aren't on the web,
you will not be found - and this can cause business
losses. Forrester Research studies indicate the
small businesses with a website have grown 46%
faster than those without.
(3) You can sell your product to a wider audience
including an international audience or a non-mobile
audience: A website introduces your business,
product or service to a national and international
audience without the expense needed to create
a presence internationally. Same with those that
are not mobile. You can display all your products
and services easily as you have as much room
as you need.û You can take orders directly over
the Internet or provide services and answer inquiries.
(4) A website can increase your customer service
and improve your customer relations: One of the
key benefits of a website is that your customers
and prospective customers can educate themselves
and contact you - even if you are not available.ûYou
can respond to their needs without having to
drive to their location or have the business
open.ûFurther, your website can survey prospective
customer so that you can learn what they are
looking for. In addition, you can provide all
customer services related forms and directions
and FAQs on the web so that they are accessible
right when the customer needs them - not when
you open again on Monday morning. This makes
customers happy.
(5) Anymore, potential customers EXPECT to find
you on the Internet - regardless of what your
business is: As more and more people (adults,
kids, seniors, students, professionals, businesses)
are using the web, and it's affordability and
usefulness to virtually all types of businesses,
they are expecting to find the reliable and professional
businesses on the Internet. They know that going
to a website will give them much more information
about a business than they can get in the Yellow
Pages or from an expensive yearly, monthly, or
weekly ad.
(6) Increase your public relations efforts without
the expense: The marketing power of a website
is that it can tell your full story - non-edited
as you create it.ûIn addition, you have no limitations
on ad or display space ¨ you can have as much
space as you need to get the message across and
display all your products in brilliant color
without costly color premiums.
(7) A website can supply you with qualified sales
leads: A well-designed website can interact with
your prospective customers. The customers can
be encouraged to leave their contact information
along with a description of exactly what they
are looking for. You can even add incentives
from time to time (e.g., specials, discounts,
etc.) for web prospects that have been proven
to increase dramatically the number of responses
you receive. This is an ideal form of sales lead
generation.
(8) A website extends your business hours to
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
- without you having to be there: Your website
is always open without you having to be there.
Thus, local or non-local, national or international
customers can learn about your service or product
any time, in their comfort, even if you are not
open for business or in their location or country.
(9) A website allows instant and timely changes
to product and support information: A website
allows you to add, subtract, change, alter, fix,
correct, modify, and update product or service
information in a matter of minutes or hours -
thus, customers will see it the moment it is
updated. This is not the case for costly print
and display ads that are printed in magazines
and papers. The lag time between updates and
product changes and customer having access to
them is negligible compared to other forms of
marketing.
(10) A website is a great business equalizer:
A quality, custom and professional website can
make your business look as big as any other business.ûNo
one has to know that you are working out of your
home or have only one small office with 1-3 employees.ûA
well-designed website will equalize your opportunity
for success regardless of the size of your business.
This puts you on par with larger businesses in
the same market.
(11) Save SIGNIFICANT costs in selling, marketing,
and supporting (i.e., customer service) over
the Internet: A website allows you to distribute
sales literature, catalogs, or brochures all
electronically. This mitigates design, development,
printing, and expensive mailing costs. Further
updates are instantly accomplished and without
the high costs associated with redesigns and
reprinting or the lengthy delays. As important,
you can save money on the need to have extra
staff in-house answering phones (and mail) when
all the details and support literature (manuals,
directions, notes, pictures, steps, etc.) are
available on your website.... at the click of
a button!
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