Quick Tips
A website is a good way to provide information to people far away or to a large audience.
A website can get people interested in your business and encourage them to choose you.
A website might save time/money if it reduces your need for mailings, phone calls, emails, etc.
Decide if it's right for you. Don't build a site just because "everyone else" has one.
Don't expect a website to do all your marketing by itself; you'll need to promote the site.
Is a Website Right For You?
Most people assume every business and organization has a website. Does this mean you should have one?
The obvious reason to have a website
A website makes sense for many small businesses and organizations. A good website helps people learn about your business so they’ll hire you, buy your product, visit your business, donate to your cause…you get the picture. A website lets you share lots of info in an organized way that you just can’t duplicate with a Facebook page.
Less obvious reasons to consider a website
1. Simplify Your life
A carefully designed web site can actually reduce your workload. Here’s an example. A local childcare center spent hours every week taking calls from prospective families about their program, then spent more hours sending out brochures and applications. After putting all the information and forms on a website, they greatly reduced the time spent on emails and phone calls, and they reduced their printing and mailing costs, saving them time and money.
2. Enhance your credibility
Studies show that more than 80% of people conduct online research before taking on a big expense. If you sell professional services (contractor, architect, engineer, etc.), people will want to check out your website to see if you’re legit before deciding to do business with you. It’s part of an unofficial pre-qualification process. Client testimonials can help reinforce your credibility as an established professional.
3. Encourage people to take the next step
A good site will build confidence in your company, and will encourage customers to take the next step. A sloppy or outdated site, however, can turn people off or leave them feeling uncertain about your company. “Under Construction” sites are a BIG turn off. As for content, people love photos. If they like what they see, they’re more likely to choose you.
4. Distinguish you from competitors
You might decide to have a website (or to improve your existing site) because your competitor has one. You can make your business seem more appealing by creating a site that better meets the needs of your clients or customers by anticipating and answering their questions. This buys you even more credibility.
5. Help people compare
Before making a choice about a product or service, people like to use the web to compare the contenders. They may visit several websites to see which company best matches their needs before making a final decision. If you don’t have a site, you’re out of the running.
Reasons not to have a website
A website is not necessarily right for every business or organization. Here are some reasons you might not need or want to have a website.
1. Business is always brisk
If you consistently have all the business you can handle, good for you. You might need a website only if it would save you time that you could be spending on work.
2. You want to keep a low profile
It’s conceivable you don’t want the whole world to know about you. For example, I worked with a foundation that provides charitable funding for a very specific type of projects and organizations. They were looking for new projects to fund, and I was tempted to urge them to build a website to increase awareness about their group. Then I realized this would create unnecessary work for them. By putting their information on the web, they would likely be inundated with hundreds of requests for money from groups that don’t fit their criteria.
3. It takes time (or money)
Websites do require time (or money for a consultant’s time). A website should be updated regularly to keep it fresh. At the very least, it’s critical that the information be accurate, with correct phone numbers, email addresses, pricing, etc. If you don’t have the time or money to keep it current, a website might actually hinder your marketing efforts.
4. Alas, a website isn’t magic
This is the biggest reason to think before investing in a website. People sometimes believe that once they’ve put up a website, new business will start pouring in. They’re disappointed when they realize it doesn’t usually happen this way.
It’s important to have realistic goals, and to understand that a website on its own cannot accomplish your marketing for you. You wouldn’t print a stack of brochures and leave them sitting on your desk, right? You’ll have to do some work to get the information into the hands of your audience. Include your new web address on business cards, social media, brochures, emails…everywhere! Once people find your site it can help generate interest and confidence in your company and help bring in new business.
—by Eve Wyatt: web, writing and design for small businesses
Also check out the How-To article 4 Steps to a Website