Topics
It is a conscious choice to operate without a website; one that many still make and then wonder where the new tenants are. You wouldn't operate without a sign on or near your facility. Having an online presence is crucial in today's fast paced environment. Those without a website are invisible to a large majority of their current and potential markets.
A website is more than just another advertising method. It is the one place where your business has 100% control of its image. In today's online world, those without a website are limited in the number of ways they have to tell potential customers who they are, how they can be reached, or what services or products they offer. When consumers search for products or services and you don't show up in search results, you've lost the race before it's begun.
Yellow pages huh? Many businesses operate under the delusion that people still use the Yellow Pages as their initial source of information and they blindly cut $5,000, $10,000, or even $20,000 checks for ads that bring little to no new customers. When was the last time you looked in the Yellow Pages for anything? Better yet, do you even have a one? The last time I touched the Yellow Pages was to pick it up off of my doorstep and put it in the recycling bin. This arcane form of advertising has gone the way of the encyclopedia.
So, how do people look for your business in today's online world? The main source of information comes from major Search Engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. You, yourself, probably use Search Engines frequently to get information about businesses, products, or services. Everybody does…but if your business has no website, they're not going to find you! What about my FREE Local Listing page? Sure, you can and should have a free Local Listing page, but you don't have much control over the content. You are typically limited as to the categories and number of characters you can include in your business profile. Furthermore, everyone else has the same access to free Local Listings and your goal should be to stand out, not blend in.
It's safe to say that having a website is an expectation these days. It isn't a luxury anymore, it is the single most important means of advertising that your business has and if the information is inaccurate, outdated, or the website is of poor quality, it's an immediate strike against you. What does a poorly constructed, poorly maintained, visually unappealing website say about your business to a potential customer? You don't want to be in a position to have to answer that question, do you?
While you're still operating your business in the last century, most of your customers are living in this one. Think about it. Whereas a properly designed website is not cheap, it is affordable when you look at the return on investment versus other forms of advertising. In many cases, a major overhaul or ground up website development is a one-time expense, with very little ongoing cost to maintain and if done right, you can control the content without having to pay a web designer every time you want to make a change. Traditional forms of advertising require constant investment and speculation with your money in the hopes that it will bring in business, websites don't. Now, that's not to say that there aren't ways to advertise your website that cost money, but the website itself should be a one-time expense, not an ongoing money pit.
The absence of a web presence in today's online world is devastating to your business. People are searching the Internet right now for exactly what you do! How much are you spending to find new customers right now? What sort of ROI do those methods provide? Can you track potential customer data? Is that an extra cost? Did you know that customer/search analytics is entirely FREE through Google Analytics? It tells you in great detail how people find your website, where they come from, what search terms they use, and more.
Bottom line: If you're operating a business without a quality website, you're sending your competitors business and telling potential customers that you don't want to be found.