Taking the Plunge, Do I Really Need A Web Site?
by Kay Gwinn

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Does your Business need a Web site?

A few weeks ago while getting a haircut and enjoying the local salon chit-chat, my hairdresser asked me about my Web design business. She said she gets several calls from my competitors trying to sell her a Web site, but she really didn't think she needed one. She didn't have a computer at work, she has enough customers to keep her busy right now, and she really didn't have shop space to expand her business.

Does she need a Web site? Well, maybe not. Not every small business needs a Web site. If you have all the customers you can or want to manage, you are confident you will maintain your customer base, and you're confident your business income will allow you to continue living in the style you have become accustom; then you don't need a Web site.

Most of us are not so fortunate. We cannot afford to lose customers, we need to grow our customer base, we need to increase revenue, and decrease our costs. Does this seem like a big business 2004 mission statement from an annual report to shareholders? You bet, and big business is a good role model for small and mid-sized companies about growing their market share. Big businesses have websites for their products and services. What can a Web site do for your business?

Advertise and Market Your Business

If you advertise in the yellow pages, you need a Web site? Your customers don't know your phone number or contact information; they know the name of your business. Your name is your best branding for you customers to recognize your business identity and for you to reach your market. Potential customers won't know your name, but they know what they want. They will search the Internet before they pick up the phone book because they want more information than just a phone number. Imagine being able to put all the information about your company on a business card and know that the card won't get misplaced or lost. We all know that would be impossible, but a Web site can do just that for you.

Customer Service and Support

Many big businesses that do not sell products to the public and have specific and limited customer bases still have Web sites just for customer service and technical support. And what about those customer service calls asking simple questions, like what are your hours, do you do this, etc.? Answered on the Web site for those Internet savvy shoppers, saves you precious time to run your business. Your customers can check product availability. My hairdresser could provide services for her customers for scheduling their appointments. She could maintain their personal information for hairstyle, hair color, payment information, automatic email reminders of their upcoming appointments, and much more.

Sales

Do you really need a Web site? The answer is simple, yes you do! If you have a new, small or mid-sized business that has a product or service that you feel can be sold over the Internet, you are missing one of the greatest advertising media available today. Your Web site can tell customers everything they need to know about your products and services. When they contact you from your Web site, chances are they are ready to buy. This can free up your sales staff from educating the customer about your products and services, and focus their efforts on closing sales. If the site is equipped with an e-store so that customers can buy directly from the Web site, your company can also reduce the staff time spent taking orders. It is an excellent medium for testing new services and products. My hairdresser could provide online sales of her hair care and beauty products for home delivery to her loyal customers that just happen to run out before their next appointment.

Public Relations

If you want to increase customer retention and improve customer relations, you need a Web site. Promote goodwill on behalf of your business and increase customer loyalty by providing extra services to your customers that they value. My hairdresser friend could provide information about the latest hair fashions. She could education her customers on hair care, hairstyles, and beauty products. She could provide a software program that would allow them to scan their photographs into the computer and visualize what they would look like with different hairstyles and color.

I researched the Internet to see if I had forgotten any important reasons for businesses to have a Web site. In less than one second, my search engine produced 68,300,000 articles about why you need a Web site. Most of the articles were by design, hosting, and marketing companies that have an interest in selling Web sites. But, every business does not need a Web site, and a Web site is not a solution to all your business needs. Your competitors do have Web sites just as your competitors have storefronts. There are opportunities for your business with an online presence. The online market statistics are so overwhelming; they will stir the greed in best of us. Currently you only get a small portion of the market with your store front, and you will only get a small portion of the online business.

If you decide you want a piece of the online market, you have to have a business strategy to develop your online business just as you had for establishing your store front or home office business. You have to provide the resources and money to realize revenues and profits. Many business owners think that all they have to do is establish the online presence like a project that starts and ends, but launching your Web site is only the beginning. Your site will require maintenance, marketing, and fresh content and promotions to entice repeat visitors and customers. Just as you measure the success of your storefront business, you should measure the return on your investment for your online presence.

My hairdresser told me her customers ask her why she doesn't have a Web site, so they could schedule their appointments. She was really asking me if I thought she made the right choice. I told her yes she needed a Web site because her customers asked for one. The most compelling reason for why you need a Web site is because your customers expect you to have one. If your are still not sure if your customers need or want you to have a Web site, develop a customer survey to ask them how your Web site would bring value to the products and services you currently provide.

So, do you need a Web site? If you would like to further investigate your Web presence, and you have questions or you would like help developing a survey, contact me at kgwinn@yourwebcenter.com. I will be glad to anwser your questions or help you with your survey free of charge. Next week I will discuss appropriate Web site models for different types of businesses, organizations, or individuals.

 

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