Websites - Are they necessary?
Lets face it, nowadays, your
business will lose credibility if you don't have a business website. Not only
will a website give your business credibility and help you to generate new
business (more about that later), but you can use a website to service
existing customers by giving them:
- access to forms, documents,
and product information
- ability to browse your
catalog and order online
- an easy way to make payments
online
- tech or product
support
Don't lose existing customers by
not having the ability to offer a bare minimum of customer service benefits
that many of your competitors are probably offering their customers
today.
Do Websites Generate New Business?
They certainly can generate new
business, however, most probably do not. Think about your own behavior when
you are searching for a product or service online. You Google a keyword which
best describes what you are looking for and the Google search results page
opens. If you do not find what you are looking for on the first page of
search results, you may look on page 2 - or you may just try another search.
That's pretty typical as most web surfers do not go past the first 2 pages of
search results. at ten sites/page, your site needs to be in the top 20 to
even have a chance to generate new sales.
This is where search engine
optimization comes in. If your website is on page 3 or higher of the search
results, you have virtually no chance of being visited by potential
customers. Those websites on page 1 and 2 are getting the exposure necessary
to succeed online. By having your site optimized for search engines
(specifically Google), your website can appear on the first couple of search
results pages for keywords that describe the products or services that you
offer.
What Is Needed To Get Started?
You need 3 things to have a
website.
- Domain - You can register a
domain at GoDaddy for about $10/year
- Web Hosting - Typical
business web hosting costs about $10-$12/month
- Website Design - The pricing
for design varies, but a decent basic site with 2 or 3 pages costs about
$200
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