Can Your Small Business Afford Not to Have a Web Site?
Recently, a very interesting article, entitled "Why Small Businesses Don't Have Web Sites" came out in Entrepreneur.com. The author made the following points:
- Having a website can save small businesses money - A website is an investment that pays for itself over time as it increases revenue and builds credibility
- Websites also provide better customer support and targeted advertising.
- A website can be a powerful marketing tool.
- In addition, websites make it easier for small businesses to recruit and keep staff.
"To conduct an online search for web design companies," the article goes on to say, "is as easy as typing "web site design" into any search engine, such as Google."
But, the author asks us all to face facts. "Small businesses can't afford the time and money to create a website." To explain his argument further he explains:
- Many small businesses' websites are very basic - They rely on uploading their logo and some text about their products or services.
- Small businesses don't have the funds to hire a web designer - It's costly to hire a quality one.
- Small business owners may get frightened by the hassle of creating their own website - After all, they're not used to creating things like that.
So, I thought I would try and put myself in the shoes of a small business owner and explain why you should have at least a basic website for your business if your business is geared towards consumers.
Why you should have at least a basic website for your business
1) Look at it this way: Your clients spend hours considering whether or not they want to buy from you. Shouldn't you spend a little bit of time and some money to help them make a decision?
2) Well, let's assume that your budget is limited. So, the first question we ask ourselves is "What kind of website should I get for my business?"
The answer: Get one that's created with search engines in mind. That way you can be sure you'll get the most bang for your buck.
3) In fact, let's say your business is home decor related. It would be good to have some pictures of products on your site. But you don't have any. So, you could either
- Hire a photographer - Take pictures yourself and then hire somebody to Photoshop them onto your site
- Get your pictures off the internet - Use your cellphone to take some pictures and then upload them into a photo album. This is particularly useful if you're only selling one or two products.
Why should I care if my site ranks well in search engines?
1) So, what happens when people look for home decor related businesses in your area? Your competitors that do have websites show up on the first page of search results and yours doesn't show up at all, right? So obviously those other websites are doing something right because they show up on page 1 of Google.
2) What if you'd spent some dollars on a website we'll call "WebSite1" and other dollars on a website we'll call "WebSite2"? The search engines aren't dumb. They know WebSite1 has pictures of products that are unique to that site. And they also know that WebSite2 doesn't have any product pictures at all. They will surely reward WebSite1 by ranking it higher than WebSite2 - After all, it has product-related content not found anywhere else (including the internet).
3) If people can find your business online, they can contact you for more information about your products and services. So, it will eliminate the need to cold-call and annoy your customers.
4) And don't forget! When people are looking for a website on Google, they might also be looking for a web designer. They might contact you just to ask you if you know any and be ready with a referral if they do.
5) Search engines also rank WebPages according to their popularity or how often they are updated - This is particularly useful for small businesses that don't want their site to get too old and out of date at any given time .
I'm happy that I chose not to have a website for my business. How about you?
If you're thinking about having a website for your business, it's time to get in touch with us. We'll help you get the most bang for your buck and give your business a fighting chance of showing up on page 1 of Google's search engine results.
Catchy Title: "Can Your Small Business Afford Not to Have a Web Site?"
Article URL: http://www.smallbusinesswebguy.com/blog/can-your-small-business-afford-not-to-have-a-website/
Author Bio: This article was written by Chris Shultz, CEO of SmallBizWebGuy.com. At SmallBizWebGuy.com, Chris focuses on helping small business owners get the most out of their websites and enhance their bottom line as a result. His clients have seen over 100% increase in revenue after implementing his website and business marketing strategies. For more info on SmallBizWebGuy or if you'd like to learn more about the company, please visit our website at http://www.smallbizwebguy.com/
Posted by Small Business Web Guy at 2:37 PM 19 comments:
Websites always seem to be the hottest topic these days – with new technologies emerging constantly, we're always hearing about how we should be "doing it this way" or "how to maximize profits".
But, if you're preparing to launch your website, you really don't have to be using the most advanced technology. Heck, if you're starting from scratch, don't even use a site builder (like Weebly or Wix) – just use WordPress . Despite the hype about how great WordPress is when it comes to blogging and web development , there are many people actually concerned that they won't be able to start their website well (therefore missing out on any opportunity of having a thriving business).
I wanted to address this belief in a different way – hopefully this post will help those who are confused about starting their website.
Conclusion: There really isn't much of a difference between using WordPress or even a simple website builder. However, you may want to consider your level of knowledge when it comes to web hosting and the platform itself.
1) Yes, I understand that WordPress is the fastest growing CMS right now (especially when compared with Joomla or Drupal), but that's only because it's user-friendly – and therefore less confusing. If you're going to go this route, you'll also need to think about security. WordPress by itself is not secure at all - It has vulnerabilities even today! Plus, it's always a good idea to have a domain name and premium web hosting .