Why does my business need a website?
It almost seems to be a must now - the business website. From
huge corporations to brand-new businesses, whether you are in
sales or service, you've thought about getting a website. But
what good does it really do your business? What if you are
purely local?
Having a website shows that you are committed to your business
and being competitive. If you are local, say so on your website.
You will still reach more of your local community through your
website than through many other media. A website is a great
addition to all your marketing materials, from business cards to
television commercials.
A website can be a very inexpensive form of advertising. You can
offer your audience much more information about your products or
services on a website than in any other form of advertising, and
it can be changed at a moment's notice. Just think about how
much work it takes to make one small change in a regular
advertising campaign. There's the time to create the new
campaign, produce it and get it out to the consumer. With a
website, you can make small or large changes very quickly.
Although website hosting can be had for free, such sites tend to
look unprofessional, as the hosting company places banners or
other advertising on your site. Depending on your needs,
however, a site can be hosted for very little money, often for
less than $15 a month.
Design is where many websites spend the most money. Unless you
already know how to create a logo and other graphics and can use
a good webpage editor, you will want to pay a web designer to do
the work for you. Even if you can do it yourself, you need to
ask yourself - is it worth the time and effort you will put into
it? Calculate what your time is worth and estimate how long it
will take you to create a site. Then get an estimate from a
professional designer. It might just cost less than doing it
yourself would.
Just remember, you can start out with a small website and let it
grow with your business. You might just be surprised at how well
you do.