I’ve been getting a lot of angry emails recently from some UK-based businesses telling me that I’m wrong that they need to bring their business online,, no matter how small,, because they’re already getting enough business.
Well, that’s great, but what if that suddenly starts to disappear? Would you rather have to turn people away or beg them to come to you? Too much is better than too little any day.
I’ve been thinking of a way to explain best why you need to have an online business.; However,, I recently stumbled upon (quite by accident) a great article written by an expert in the SStates namedoy.
Ray will show you the top ten reasons you need a website over to you, Ray…
Top Ten Reasons Your Local Business Must Be Online
Whether your local business is small or large, regardless of how much business you do, a quality website is a must.
One of the biggest mistakes local businesses make is assuming their physical presence in a local community is all they need to attract clients. A second big mistake is believing that due to being minor or mid-sized, a website isn’t affordable or necessary.
Consider the following top 10 reasons your business must be online if you plan not only to survive, but thrive in today’s economy:
1. Location.
Whether you have the best location on the block or you’re tucked in a corner nook office in a vacant strip mall, an online presence makes it easy for more customers to find you. A potential customer who has never needed your services or products before isn’t going to drive around looking for you – and forget the Yellow Pages. That potential client will most likely turn to the Internet to explore local listings. If you’re not there, you’ve lost a sale.
2. Expertise.
A website is much more than listing your business’s name, address and phone number. A quality website showcases your products or services and your expertise with informative articles, videos, photos, and much more.
3. Promotion.
Today, a business’s website is a “hub” for various marketing activities. You can advertise sales, promote new products, announce giveaways, and offer valuable “freebies” in exchange for customers signing up for your email list. When you have a website, newsletter, ezine, email marketing, and other valuable promotional opportunities open and spread before your eyes.
4. Connection
Local businesses can connect with clients in multiple ways by going online. Once you have a website, adding a blog or incorporating popular social networking into your online marketing strategy is easy.
5. Interaction
Not only can you easily connect with your clients online, but you can also interact with them! This means gaining valuable insight into your business, products, and services. Visitor comments, polls, contact queries and more can help you develop and improve your business to meet your customers’ needs.
6. Management
How much time and expense might your business save if clients could place orders for pickup or delivery or even book appointments for your services online? These are just a few ways going online can help you better manage your business.
7. Reputation
Almost everyone has had the experience of searching for a business online, only to be disappointed or put off by the discovery that none exists. A quality website will build your business’s reputation and credibility in the eyes of potential clients.
8. Convenience
Consumers today associate the Internet with convenience. Whether they’re searching for your business’s location, a coupon they can quickly print for savings or an easy way to contact you for more information, customers perceive the lack of a website as “inconvenient.”
9. Competition
A quality website will set you leagues apart from local business competitors. You can offer more information, better service, a more enjoyable experience and valuable promotions than can be achieved offline.
10. Scalability.
Perhaps the most critical reason your local business must be online is the ability to adjust and develop long-term as your business grows. A website can help you meet all your customers’ needs and continue attractingt new ones as you move from a solo business to a small business, a small business to a mid-sized business, and up as high as your business plan aspires.