Have you ever thought of putting your business on the internet, but haven't got the idea where to start and not sure whether the internet is really meant for your business?
Most of the time we see the big internet businesses like Google, Amazon and Yahoo!, or the big corporations like Microsoft, airline companies and banks being successful on the internet. On the other hand, you find someone with a brilliant idea who manages to create a website and makes a huge success with very little effort simply because they had the right idea and acted on that idea on the right time. Of course, there are also those who recognizes a good idea, jumps on the competition and shares in that success.
But what if your company does not fall into any of those categories? What if you have a traditional business where you manufacture a product or offer a service to your local community?
Does your business still belong on the internet? Can your business still be successful on the internet?
Most definitely yes. Other than a place to share information, the internet is intended to be a market place where we can find things that add value to our lives. If your local community finds value in your service or product, then the rest of the world should also. And even if your product or service cannot be made available to the rest of the world, which is hard to believe, the internet could be used simply to make your product more attractive to your local community.
In today's world trend, the idea of technology is getting into people's life faster than they actually need. With the massive growth of information trading, having a business that can be available online and offline can make a significant change on how people see your business. And with it, you will have wider range of potential customers lurking and waiting for you.
With the crowded network available on the internet, it is a fact that an offline and traditional business that have online presence gets more respect from customers and competitors than the one without.
Your website is a live brochure that is available for anyone to see from anywhere, no matter if they are 5 miles away or 5000 miles away. For potential local customers, they may first find your company in the yellow pages and newspapers ad, 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 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.
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?
In the same respect, if a potential customer 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.
Your website opens the door to a larger market of prospective clients. Even if your service is normally only preformed 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.
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. And, almost instantly, your information is fresh and visible, without the costs of re-printing new marketing material. This can go on. In short, having a website is giving your business many opportunities to grow. 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 competitors do?
How do you get started?
Before you approach anybody about designing a website for you, you should first decide what it is you want. How can the internet add value to your existing customers? If you can find a solution to that question, then, by default, you will have a solution that will add value to new customers as well and your business will sell itself on the internet.