Why every business needs a website
A website is now the most important marketing tool a business can utilize. Having an online presence now means much more then having a fancy looking website. It means having an easily accessible place for your customers to learn about your company, your products and services, and, if you feature testimonials, a great way for them to hear from others who have used your business in the past. It also provides easy access for them to contact your company if they are interested in your services, or a great way to sell your products directly to your customers.
Your Competition
If your competitors have a website, then your probably should have a website as well. In today's world most business is initiated through online contact. If your competitor has a website, how much more business are they generating from their site? Having a website for your business opens up more opportunities then traditional advertising, which in turn means more customers.
24/7/365
A website works for you 24 hours a day. A "Brick and Mortar" business is limited to a more traditional workday schedule. With a website, customers can view your products and services long after your normal operating hours. A website is easily updated and information about new products can be released when you are ready to sell.
Sell Your Products and Services Online
You have probably seen or heard about e-commerce websites like Amazon or eBay . There are countless online stores that thrive doing the same type of selling but on a smaller scale. If you have a retail product that can be shipped via UPS or FedEx , you have a great opportunity to reach more customers by having an online store. This allows you to take orders on your website, accept credit cards and inform your customers when to expect shipment of their purchase. Having a website can also reduce the cost of printing and mailing hard copy catalogues, brochures and any other print material.
Information
Your website can provide online support, e-mail forms, questionarres, and a Frequently Asked Questions page. This will help you reduce the amount of time spent on the phone answering the same thing over and over again, which in turn allows you more time to work on developing new products and ideas for your business.
Repeat Customers
The best clients are repeat and referred customers. That said, there is no better way to keep customers coming back than keeping in touch. You can send out monthly updates to all the customers who have ever bought a product or service from you with a few clicks of your mouse. Repeat business is often what keeps a business afloat, and websites offer an easy an affordable way to keep in contact with your customers.