How important is a website for my business?

Ok, so there are a ton of people still out there debating on whether or not if they need a website for their business, either because they think it may to be too hard, they are comfortable with how they operate now, or maybe even because they think they make enough money and don’t need a website.

If you fit under any of these scenarios you need to read this post. (maybe a few times). First, we need to look at some statistics. Nearly 80 percent of adults go online in North America. There is no place on earth where so many people come together all at once. There is no easier way and more efficient way to reach the masses than by online engagement. Online retail sales are close to doubling year after year after year. This is an amazing stat and it has no signs of slowing down.

Just think, if I don’t take advantage of the online market, but one of my competitors finds a way to use the internet to promote their business, then who do you think will gain the most market share in 5-10 years? You have to remember that the online community is the biggest growing network in the entire world and is growing at a rapid pace. To me, it doesn’t make any sense to say NO to getting your business online.

What easier way is there to reach potential clients, to provide contact & product information, and to find out valuable market research. Most business owners think it’s very expensive to get a web site up and running but with the right information like what I’m about to give you, then everyone can get a good deal to get up and running online. There are hundreds of big companies that will give you a template to work off of and just insert your information and pictures for reasonable prices. Some of these are Vista Print and Tripod, but I recommend going beyond just getting a site up with basic information. I highly recommend spending some time and money in Branding your company online and giving the impression you would want your business to give as if they walked physically into your store. Everything from colors, alignment, detailed product information, prices, contact information, and sharpe images are all important to give the professional image that you want to be carried throughout all advertising and marketing materials for your business.

Even if you are a small local retailer, selling on Amazon or eBay may be a viable solution for your business. They are both great ways to boost revenue for your business no matter what your skill level. If you have no employees that no know how to use the internet or how to sign up for an Amazon or eBay account then I recommend you make it a necessity on the next hiring of an employee. You are simply missing out on today’s most useful tool. Almost every single University grad no matter what their degree today knows how to use the internet at an average level.

If you want to go all out on your business and want someone to work on your site I recommend using the best hosting provider that can be found on the net. Simple Helix has great customer service! You will only need to hire one employee or even contract out the job to get your business online. If a local company says they need an entire team and quote you over a few thousand dollars to get a simple website up then you should seek elsewhere. My company, Memorywalk, uses Simple Helix and we also do graphic design to help people get their business websites looking sharpe and professional. You can take a look at our website to see what you would expect to get for yourself. I don’t promote myself too much as we are too busy as it is, but I cannot stand it when I see companies rip off small businesses.

If you do choose to get your business online don’t expect magic to happen soon as your website goes live. It takes years of marketing, SEO, and experimenting to get people coming to your site on a regular basis. I will discuss more about this in an upcoming post….

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