|
Do you really need
a website for your business? You’re busy, don’t
want to bother, don’t want to spend the money. But then,
there’s that nagging feeling that you ought to have a
presence on the Web.
Does your business need a website?
It probably does.
Before you spend any
money on a website ask yourself the questions
below.
The answers will help you understand first, if you
need a website, and second, how a site could
enhance your business. |
 |
1.
Do your prospective clients use the Web to look for your type of
products or services?
These days, people use the
internet to find just about everything. If you offer a
professional service, your clients will expect to find you on
the Web.
|
Bouncy
Castle Hire,
Plumbers and Plumbing,
Electrical Contractors,
Builders,
Driving Instructors,
Taxi Hire, Driveway &
Patio Jet Cleaning
Landscape Gardeners,
Painters and Decorators,
Plasterers, and more... |
|
|
2. Do your
competitors have websites?
Imagine that a prospective
client is considering hiring your business and is attempting to
use the Web to compare your services to the competition’s. If
you don’t have a site, it makes you appear less established and
professional. It’s like not having a business card.
3. Are your
competitors larger than you?
If your business is very small,
or you’re just starting out, you may want it to appear larger
than it is. The Web can help you level the playing field. A
well-crafted, highly professional website gives the appearance
that your business is large and established. |
4. Do you spend a
lot of time explaining your business to prospective clients?
Perhaps you’re a technology
consultant specializing in a complicated area of business. You
find yourself explaining exactly what you do over and over
again. Instead, post a clear, concise statement of what you do
on the Web, and you’ll be saving some of your precious time.
5. Is it
important that your business projects a highly
professional image?
Perhaps you work at
home in your bathrobe. Who needs to know? They won’t
figure it out from your professional website. In
fact, a well-designed site can project whatever
image you want for your business, whether it’s
ultra-conservative, or young and hip.
6. Do
you want to expand your business beyond your current
customer base?
If you want to grow
your business, you’ll need a website to reach
clients in new areas. Suppose you’ve always focused
on one industry, but now want to offer a new service
tailored to a different industry. You could create a
special section on your website that resonates with
the new, intended audience.
|
|
Your website is
the face of your business online!
7. Do your clients
themselves have websites?
If they do, you can bet that
they consider the Web to be an important business asset and
would think it strange if you don’t have a website as well.
8. Do you want to reduce your sales and marketing costs?
Printing collateral can be expensive. Then you have to figure out
how to get it into the hands of your prospects. You can put the same
type of content on your website, update it easily when you have
changes, and send emails to prospects to entice them to your site.
|
The internet is
growing all the time and these days it seems like every company has
its own website!
Will your
business move forward without a website?
Should
your business be on the web?
|
|
|
9. Do you find yourself answering the same customer questions again and
again?
Avoid repeating the same answers over and over by providing the
information on your website. Your customers will be happy to get the
answers they need at their own convenience.
10. Do you want to increase the effectiveness of your business
development activities?
A website is a great way to reinforce the effectiveness of your
other business development and marketing efforts, such as ads and
press releases. If you put your Web address on all of your
materials, you can draw people to your site, where you can provide
more detail. If you speak at conferences or write industry articles
to increase your visibility, a website can expand the highlights of
your bio. |
So does
your business need a website?
Now that you’ve articulated (at least in your head) the answers to
these questions, you will have got a good idea of why your business should
have a website.
You understand that a website isn’t just a
'cool'
thing to have – it’s an important asset that can work double-duty to
help your business succeed. And even if you don’t expect new
prospects to discover you via the Web, you know that a website will
help you at the next stage, when clients are researching your
qualifications and background.
Not having a website is a knock-off;
it makes you look like you’re not serious about your business.
Build me a
website
At Build Me A Website
our aim is to provide stylish and professional websites for small to
medium sized businesses at affordable prices. Websites can be up and
running in as little as 5 days, for further information click the
appropriate link below.
Portfolio
If you would like to view a
selection of websites we have designed and published for clients
please click here
Happy
Customers
Build Me A Website prides
itself on customer satisfaction by ensuring that we provide a
service second to none. See what our clients have had to say about
the work we have carried out.
Click here
BMAWS acknowledges Andrea Harris, publisher of 'The Minerva
Minute' and owner of
Minerva Solutions. We would like to
thank Andrea for the great work she put into the "Does your
business need a website" article above.
|
