Home »

Research

Many people use the Internet to find out more information about products or services that they are in need of. Your website is a means of offering information to those who may be researching online before buying. If you don’t have a website, how are they going to even get a chance to see what you have to offer? Your website is a live brochure that is available for anyone to see from anywhere, no matter if they are 5 miles away or 5,000 miles away.

Information

For potential local clients, they may first find your company in the yellow pages but, if they are looking for more information about you and the services you offer, the Internet is one of the first places they will look to do their research.

Many potential long distance clients may be in different time zones or would rather not make a long distance call. Because of these factors, the Internet is where they would go for more information. Having a website enables your information to be available anytime and, by including your email address on your site, they have a cheaper and more convenient way of contacting you.

Your website allows you to create and show much more of your information than a print ad or brochure. The more information you provide, the more likely a potential client will be to buy from you as they can see everything they need to know. You can even include a little something extra, such as tips and resources, to help your clients see your dedication to providing topnotch customer service.

Creativity

Your website also allows you to be more creative in how you present your information compared with printed material. You can add bells and whistles (but not too many) that show you can be creative in your efforts.

Contact

In the same respect, if a potential client has heard about you but can’t find your business card, they may turn to the Internet to try and locate your contact information or to learn more about you.

Expansion

Your website opens the door to a larger market of prospective clients. Even if your service or product is normally only performed locally, there is always the potential to expand. And, you are more likely to increase your local client base if your website is available for them to research your service.

Referrals

Even if you cater to only a specific clientele, your website can be a place for them to visit – or a place they can point others to.

Ease of change

Your website is the one piece of marketing material that is easy to change without a huge cost. So, if you have a special event coming up or you want to include more information on a certain service, you simply have your web designer make the change. Almost instantly, your information is fresh and visible, without the costs of re-printing new marketing material.

Conclusion

We could go on and on about the benefits of having a website. In short, having a website is the ‘way to go’ these days and, if your company does not have a website, are you losing customers? Are they finding your competition when using the Internet but not you? Are they wondering why you do not have a website when all of your competition does?

Your website is your company’s 24 hour advertising medium. Why wouldn’t you consider having one?

Another view

Typical reasons a company believes it needs a website are to:

• improve corporate image
• improve customer service
• provide comprehensive information about the company and its products and services
• provide contact details, directions and a map
• find new prospects
• increase visibility
• perform transactions
• expand the market
• meet customer expectations
• reduce costs

THE TRUTH!

To be perfectly frank, any business is now expected to have a website! If you don't, potential customers will certainly wonder why. Is your business old-fashioned? Is it a fly-by-night operation? Does it even still exist? Is it just a tiny operation? Can't you afford a website?

However, bear in mind that customer surveys have shown that a cheap, simple, amateurish website is worse than no website! Why? Because that just confirms that your business is old-fashioned, undercapitalised, tiny.........!

We recommend at least 5 pages of information, and in a style which says "ours is a professional organisation and we do things properly"!

The Birmingham Post - May 09, 2006 ..... "Over half of UK consumers (53%) would walk away from any business that does not have a website, according to research commissioned by 1&1 Internet, one of Europe's largest web hosting and domain name registration companies.

The survey also found that one in five small businesses still do not recognise the importance consumers place upon a web presence. There was also huge confusion within businesses over the cost and time needed to create a website.

The research identified that in addition to the 53 per cent of consumers who would walk away from a business with no web presence, even more of Britain's 3.7 million SMEs could be losing sales if they have a poor quality website."