April 26, 2007

Is There a Reason to Not Have a Web Site?

I was recently reading about business who do not have web sites. I took a day to digest this and really consider is there some reason that ANY small business could afford to NOT have a web site? I don't think so.

The Wall Street Journal writes His tried-and-true system, if not the most up-to-date, has worked for more than a century. His family has been in the retail shoe business since 1890 and now has two stores in the Chicago suburbs -- one in Geneva, and one in Glen Ellyn, run by his two brothers). None of them has an interest in being online. "Everybody in my family is computer-illiterate," he says. "We have a difficult time understanding the Internet."

For these businesses that are not online, what they don't know IS definitely hurting them.

Sure your business can be around for 50 years and more and do just fine. But for most businesses it's now going to grow and you will be losing to your competition who is online.

Advertising in the newspaper, yellow pages, in flyers and on the radio is all well and good. But by not having an online presence you are not only losing out on additional revenue but SCREAMING to customers - we're dinosaurs.

Thanks to sites like Homestead.com, Office Live, and Edit.com, creating a web site is very easy to do and well worth the minimal effort.

If you know of someone who does not have a web site, invite them to some tee or soda and convince them of the need for a web site.

Explain to them that:

- they could get more new customers from being online
- boost business from repeat customers

How? An increase in search engine referred traffic; being called upon by the media for expert comment (assuming their site is rich in information beyond just product information).

Is there a reason to not have a web site? No. Every business should have a web site.

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