In reality, it's among the most important and most frequently asked questions of the digital business age. Before I answer, however, let's flash back to the very first time I had been asked this question. It was circa 1998, during the toddler years of the net.
I was giving a speech on the impact of the net on small business at an association luncheon in Montgomery, Alabama. Back in 1998, which was years ago in internet years, the near future of e-commerce was anyone's guess, but even the most negative futurists agreed that all the signs indicated that a sizable portion of future business revenues would be derived from online transactions or from offline transactions that were the result of online marketing efforts.
So if your business have a website, even if your business is small and sells products or services that you don't think can be sold online? My answer in 1998 is the same as my answer today: Yes, even if you have a business, you should have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt.
Also, don't be so quick to dismiss your product as one that can not be sold online. Nowadays, there's very little that can not be sold on the internet. More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you name it. If you can imagine it, someone will work out how to sell it online.
Allow me to clarify 1 point: I am not saying you ought to put all your efforts into selling your wares on the world wide web, though if your product lends itself to easy online sales, you must definitely be considering it.
Nevertheless, it's not enough that you have a website. You have to have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online before making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar shop, your website may be the very first chance you have at making a fantastic impression on a potential buyer. If your website looks like it had been created by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a fantastic first impression will be lost.
Among the great things about the internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression. Having a well-designed website, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much bigger company. The reverse is also correct. I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility.
You also mention that yours is a small operation, but if it comes to benefiting from a website, size doesn't matter. I don't care if you are a one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate monster; if you do not own a website, you're losing business to other companies that do.
Here's the exception to my rule: It is actually better to have no website at all than to have one which makes your business look bad. Your website speaks volumes about your enterprise. It either says,"Hey, look, we take our business so badly that we've created this superb website for our customers!" Or it screams,"Hey, look, I allow my 10-year-old nephew design my website. Fantastic luck finding anything!"
Your website is an significant part your business. Make sure that you treat it .
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