pwsdb Reasons

Seven reasons why YOU need a
professionally designed website.

There are an endless number of reasons why every business and organization, global or local, large or small, should have a registered domain name and a professionally designed, maintained and monitored website. Here are seven of them:

Reason #1: "If it's not in the system, it doesn't exist."

Every day, more and more people are turning to the Internet as their primary source of information about products, services, who has them, and where to find them. In this world, if your business does not have a website, then your business does not exist! Your competitors may already be gaining substantial advantage and market share over your company through their existing web presence. You cannot afford to be left behind.

Reason #2: "On the Internet, no one has to know how small you are."

The Internet provides a level playing field. With a well designed website, a small local enterprise can make the same powerful, profitable impressions as a large multinational corporation. A website can expose your business to a whole new global market. And with a website, you can quickly and inexpensively generate a great deal of interest through effective use of keyword targeting, search engine positioning, "links" and online promotions.

Reason #3: "With a website, you are always open for business, 24/7/365."

Your website is always there, constantly promoting your business and maybe even generating sales, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is an online store that never closes. Properly designed, your business website can be a showcase of everything you have to offer--all in one easy-to-navigate location, available for anyone at any time, day or night, from home or office.

Reason #4: "With your own domain name, every email you send becomes an ad."

Having your own domain name (www.YourCompany.com) is key to a successful web presence. It gives you the ability to market through all of your print, television, and other advertising media. Placing your web address on the bottom of your business cards, letterhead, newspaper ads, etc. provides enhanced branding for your company name, as well as providing customers with another choice for initial contact. And using your own domain name in your email address turns all of your emails into subtle advertisements. For example, think about the difference in impact between " Jsmith123@aol.com" and "John.Smith@SmithEnterprises.com"!

Reason #5: "Doing it online makes customer service better, faster and CHEAPER."

Whoever answers your phones will tell you that much of their time is spent answering the same questions over and over again. Posting these answers on your website will not only be more convenient for your customers and prospects, but also mean your employees can devote more time to other tasks. With a website, you can announce new products and services with the push of a button. You might even develop an online catalog, complete with ordering facilities. Having all your information online allows prospects to browse through your offerings with ease, and maybe even determine what they want prior to setting foot in your place of business.

Reason #6: "A web page is a brochure that is never out of stock or out of date."

How many times have you needed a marketing brochure that was "... still at the printer's"? How often have you had to tap dance around a price increase, or explain away a discontinued item or cancelled promotion, simply because your printed sales pieces are out of date? And what about when you attempt to send an important email to "everyone in the group" ... only to find that 20 percent of the members aren't in the published directory, and 20 percent of those that are, bounce back with bad addresses? With a properly maintained website, NONE OF THESE THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN to you or your associates.

Reason #7: "Things change quickly, and a website can change just as quickly."

In business, responsiveness has always been the key to being a winner. With a properly managed website, your business presence can change as quickly as change itself: New products and services, as well as pricing and other changes to existing offerings, can be communicated to your customers instantaneously. Product updates and service bulletins can be available to your entire field force the moment they are released. And staff or membership name, address, telephone, fax and email changes can be posted in seconds, and even kept current by the individuals themselves. With a well-designed ebusiness website, YOU WIN!

Another way of expressing it:

Fact: 67% of Americans are online – can they find your business web site?

Fact: Your competitors are online already – how long are you willing to stay behind the times while they build a lead online?

Fact: Your web site is a new customer lead generator. A simple page that allows potential clients to send you a question can generate many valuable leads

Fact: Advertisers with web sites convert more customers than those without them. If you're advertising in without a web site, you're WASTING your ad dollars.

Fact: Many people research their business needs at night – your site is ALWAYS open to them.

Use your site as an extension to current advertising – (phone books, papers, mags, etc.) - you can expose your potential client to more reasons to patronize your business.

Fact: Online consumer spending will reach $133 billion in 3 years up over 200% from todays' $65 billion spent online. More and more, business is movign online - don't get left behind.

Use your site to educate your customers – a huge time saver for you.

Word of mouth referrals need a way to find and learn about your business.

'Do you have a web site?' – now you can say "Sure we do!"

Educate your clients online - send them to your site instead of explaining the same concepts over and over.

A web site is the least expensive way to test your business with millions of people on the internet.

Far less costly and easier to change than printing and distributing brochures

It is nice to know that the cost of web site hosting (making it available "24-7") is now only about $100 or $200 per year for a small business. The initial cost of designing it can be just a few hundred more than that (3 or 4 ... ex. ) and, there are, inexpensive, ways of maintaining even some of the "constantly changing" parts of it. Getting a name for your website can be even cheaper at about $10 per year.