Bill gates in an interview with Larry King predicted that there will be only two types of businesses going forward. Companies that are doing business on the internet and Companies that are going out of business. The bottom line is any company that has a desire to compete in today’s marketplace needs to have a website. The internet that was once just limited to global companies is increasingly going local. Today consumers are searching for businesses and merchandise online rather than looking it up in the yellow pages. Google is a magician. It will send you users looking for your services for free!
Ten reasons why any business should have a website
1. A website is accessible 24?7 ? Weekends, Holidays, Weekdays etc, this ensures that you don’t miss a sale!
2. Boost your image. For small businesses, a well web design is a great way of instilling confidence, and looking bigger than you are and there by increasing sales and profits
3. You can make up-to-date product information available to customers all over the world, all the time.
A Web site is easier, cheaper and quicker to update than printed brochures and price lists, and its capacity is almost limitless, so you can provide more comprehensive information. You could save money on printing and distribution costs as well.
4. Improve customer service by, for example, providing answers to frequently asked questions on your Web site. Straightforward sales and information requests can be processed automatically and immediately, whether there’s anyone in the office or not. Online forms can be used to allow customers to request quotations or ask for further information. This feature alone will reduce your support costs by at least 25%
5. Set up an online shop — rents in cyberspace are much lower than they are in the real world! Providing secure online ordering is now affordable even for the smallest business.
6. Use the Web to expand your market. If you want to trade internationally, or even nationally, and your customers have access to the Net, the Web may be the most cost-effective way to do it.
7. Gather information about your customers at minimal cost — using online surveys or simply analysing the traffic information collected by your Web server can provide valuable information about who your online customers are and what they want.
8. Steal a march on your competitors. If they don’t have Web sites yet — get in there first! If they do, study them and think of ways to make yours better!
9. Boost your image. For small businesses, a well-designed Web site is a great way of instilling confidence, and looking bigger than you are and thereby increasing sales and profits
10. Provide personalized information to individual customers based on their preferences. No other medium allows you to do this so cheaply. Your Web site can add value by providing something extra for your customers.
