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Why You Should Have a Website.

It goes against our better judgment to list reasons for getting a website. Usually when we are asked this question we explain that the approach is wrong. Instead, we prefer to discuss business needs and how the Internet, or a website, might satisfy some of these specific needs.
With that said, we appreciate that some people just want a basic understanding of what websites might offer. Here’s the kind of stuff you were probably expecting …

Advertising

Think of it as adding another string to your advertising bow. It’s not a Yellow Pages ad, it’s not a brochure and it’s not a flyer. It is quite different to these, but it can hardly be put into a class of its own (yet!!). Websites have several advantages over other forms of advertising, for example:

For the price of a small Yellow Pages ad you can have a large website.
You can obtain information about the people looking at your advertisements, for example you can find out which advertisements people have been looking at and for how long.
You can target a world market or a local market. You can therefore trial products or services on these different markets. Think of it as very inexpensive Market Research.
You can combine selling with advertising. Explain the features of a product then give the customer the option of "clicking here" to purchase with a credit card.
You can post information that is commonly sought after. It will be available 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.
A website is more dynamic than other advertising media. You can have information changing monthly, daily or every second if it is automated.

Customer Service

Offer a service to your customers. List information about your products. Explain how people can get more from them or how they can order spare parts (with diagrams etc.). While they are receiving free information and services, they might want to drop by to see the latest release in your product line.

Reduce Costs
This one is very specific to the business you are in. However, allow us to give you an example:

Put your entire product list on the web, with retail prices and inventory levels, and link each product to other products in your range of a similar nature. Customers can see what is in stock, see what alternatives are available, see when delivery is expected for the out-of-stocks AND place (or reserve) their order.

Obtain Customer Feedback

The lifeblood of many a business – customer opinion. Give customers the opportunity to fill in surveys about your products and services or let them write freely about your company. Some will gladly do this without an incentive, others might need to receive a free gift (sticker, full coloured brochure, free information, sample pack or similar).

It’s Trendy

This wouldn’t normally appeal to me either. However a trend mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald (1-9-98) is worth noting:

Radio took 38 years to gain 50 million users.
TV took 13 years to gain 50 million users.
The Internet has taken 4 years to gain 50 million users.

This has many implications. Here is one ... You may not feel forced into getting a website right now, but chances are, your customers and competitors will force you into it sooner or later. A website can be built in a very short period of time. However, your business takes a little longer to adapt to an Internet culture. Getting a website now, means you can take the development at your own pace. At the very least, you could invest an hour or two of your time to talk to us about the benefits of putting your business on the Internet.