Cost Effective World-wide Storefront
Think about it... with a relatively small initial investment and monthly hosting fees as little as $6.95 per month, you can have your very ownweb site. It only costs a fraction of what it did just a couple years agoto have a web site. Coupled with the fact that more Americans than ever are using the Internet to find information. According to a recent survey1, 92% of Internet users say the Internet is a good place to go for getting everyday information; 88% say the Internet plays a role in their daily routines.
Generating Awareness
Today, customers use the Internet the way they they rely on yellow pages listings. The difference being cost and information content. Depending on the nature of your business and your market covering, it will cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars more to advertise with yellow pages and other directories. And with the ever increasing popularity of Search Engines with Americans, other methods of searching for information become more and more obsolete. You can have the best web site in the world, but if no one knows about, does it really matter? Recent surveys1 report 84% of online Americans have used search engines; that translates into more than 107 million people.The use of search engines typically ranks second only to email use as the most popular online activity. Americans conducted 3.9 billion total searches in June of 2004. Some 87% of search engine users say they find the information that they are looking for most of the time. And best of all, it doesn't cost a penny to be listed in Internet search engines. Most credible web hosts offer free search engines registration tools accessible through your web site's "control panel".
Enhancing Customer Dialogue
A web site can be an excellent way to keep your customers informed and maintain your ties with them 24 hours a day. Web sites can compliment your customer support team by instantly providing your customers answers to the most common questions, and they can keep your customers notified of the latest news and market offerings. Increase your customer reach even further by adding an e-Newsletter program to your web site. Developing a web site and utilizing e-mail can save you time and money.
Conducting Transactions Online
Certain products and services lend themselves well to web-based transactions. And if you still think that it's too expensive to convert your web site into a true world-wide storefront, then think again. I recommend a low cost e-Commerce solution that has no start-up or monthly fees, no cancellation fees, and no minimum payments. It also offers lower transaction fees than other merchant accounts.
Increasing Competitive Advantage
One of the most interesting effects of having your own web site has been the ability to level the playing field. Your web site has the power to create or even change your customers' perception of your company. A small business with a very effective, well designed web site will attract more potential buyers than a large corporation who uses their web site to tell the world "about us". Your web site should be designed from top to bottom with your customers' interest in mind. And here's one more free tip for you... don't ever let your IT department control the content of your web site! Your web site can potentially be your single most powerful marketing tool. It belongs in the hands of your marketing folks -- even if your "staff" is out-sourced.
1 Survey by Pew Internet & American Like Project
