Do you really need a website?

Normally, the worst reason for doing anything is "because everyone else is..."

In the case of a website this is not true. If you're marketing a product or service and you are NOT advertising where your competition is, you'll find yourself left behind very suddenly.

In the past, when your customers were looking for a product or service, their easiest option would be to pull out the Yellow Pages to search for a store or company in their area that provided the product or service they were in need of. Sometimes this supplied a name and phone number.

With the Internet today, that same customer can go to a search engine or index and be presented with a list of businesses that fit their needs, with links to their web pages. Those web pages are loaded with product pictures and price lists, maps and phone numbers, and even online Shopping Cart system which allows the customer to order products and services--all without ever having to leave the house or office.

Perhaps you have a "service" oriented practice such as accounting, law, or medicine that's already doing well and you're wondering why you should burden yourself with the added expense of a Web site. Simply put, not having a web site will soon be like not having a listing in your local Yellow Pages. In the Web world, this is referred to as a "corporate presence." Even if your best business comes by word-of-mouth, your potential customers may want to check you or your products or services out. A well-designed, professional web site can give you added visibility and credibility. Additionally, the cost of maintaining a Web site is probably the most cost effective advertising you'll ever do and with content management systems you can pay to have tis set up in the beginning and then not have to pay everytime you want your site updated if you will be updating it frequently.

Nowadays businesses in all areas have a web presence or should have one as the internet is the first place now that 99% of people would look for information on a product or service or even a company.

Advantage of having a website over not having one

If someone is looking in the local paper for a service and sees 2 companies beside each other offering the same services but one has a website then the customer will automatically look at the one with the website before calling the second company and if they like the look of the first companies website then they will more than lightly go with them. Outcome being that the second company loses out on the busuness due to not having there products and services online for the potential customer to see.

Advantages of having a website...