Every retailer needs a website. Every dentist, lawyer, accountant and minister needs one. Every cafe, restaurant, coffee shop and nightclub needs one. Every business listed in the Yellow Pages needs a presence on the Internet – it’s where your customers expect to find you.
Here are eight reasons why you need a professional-looking website that attracts customers or risk losing them:
1. They’re affordable
If you think you can’t afford to put up a website, think again. A website is the most cost-effective way to promote and market your business. A basic informational website typically costs less than advertising in your local Yellow Pages.
2. It’s your best salesperson
A good website allows prospects to gather information about your business from the privacy of their own computer screens. What questions do your salespeople answer every day? And how, exactly, would your best salesperson phrase those answers on his or her best day? This is the information that needs to be available 24/7 on your site.
3. Your customers are already online
Ask anyone if they’ve used a search engine within the past week to research a product or service that they were considering purchasing. Nine out of 10 times the answer will be “yes.”
4. You’re one click away
We live in an on-demand world where everything is a click away. Think of your site as a path from your advertising to your front door. Do you suppose it’s easier to convince customers to visit your website to learn about you, or to convince them to get in their car, drive to your store, park that car and walk in your door?
5. You’re taken seriously
It’s not enough to have a website. You must have a professional-looking site that’s taken seriously. Your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential customer or client. If your site looks like it was designed by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.
6. Level the playing field
When it comes to benefiting from a website, size doesn’t matter. The Internet has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. With a well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. Many big company websites are so poorly designed and hard to navigate that they lose all credibility. Good for you, too bad for them.
7. Beat your competition
Suppose a prospective client who is considering hiring you is using the Web to compare your services to your competition. If you don’t have a site, you appear less established and professional. It’s like not having a business card.
8. Or maybe you shouldn’t have a website
Okay, here’s the exception: It’s better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your site speaks volumes about you. It either says, “We take our business seriously, and we have created this wonderful site for our customers,” or it screams, “Hey, look what my 10-year-old nephew designed. Good luck finding anything!”
TIP: If you’re a business owner, stop paying for publishing and shipping printed materials. Instead, move to the Internet. It’s an important part of your business.
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Safari Multimedia is your full-service Web partner offering smart online solutions for businesses of all sizes. Our cost-effective and easy-to-update websites will help you build relationships and boost profits.