Benefits of Having a Business Website

Can you believe that just about fifteen years ago most people had not even heard of the Internet? In just a little over a fifteen years it has grown from a very simple way to send email to a sophisticated communication medium. Today everyone is at least aware of the Internet and the majority of you use it on a daily basis.

Even more amazing is the growth in website services and huge drop in cost of those services. In the late 90�s it was not unusual for a company to spend tens of thousands of dollars to build an e-commerce site. Today, any business, small or large, can have an internet catalog or e-commerce website for under $2000. Informational sites can run as low as $200!

Websites create a national or international presence for a business, and that presence can create a dramatic increase in sales performance. Unlike a traditional brick and mortar store, a website is open 24/7 in all time zones (even when its owner sleeps). A website with a shopping cart service can take orders all day and night. Of course, a business owner still needs to fulfill orders in a timely manner, using the same quality customer service provided to customers who walk into a store.

A website allows ample room to talk about the unique qualities of a business, not limited to the confines of a small print ad (or large yearly advertising budget). A small ad in the yellow pages can direct attention to a website, providing potential customers with far more information. Following the initial expense of designing a website, yearly maintenance costs of a website can be kept very low.

• Increased Market Size: Any business website presence broadens the market reach for your business. Local retailers can market/sell products across the country or the world.
  Reduced Information Distribution Costs: Practically every business distributes some sort of information...product sell sheets, technical specifications, catalogs, order forms, proposals, etc. A business website allows you to provide that information in real time when the customer needs it at almost no cost.

• Expanded Availability to Customers: Your business website gives your customers access to your business 24/7 with very little increase in overhead or employment costs. Even if you don't have an online catalog, having your information available allows the customer to at least look at their convenience.

• Increased Sales: If your small business website includes an online shopping cart you can increase your sales with little additional cost. A professional online catalog will cost you little as $18 per month or less ... a value that's hard to pass up!

• Customers Require It: This is probably the most important benefit of having a business web site. With the new smart phones, i-Pads and other mobile devices, people are using the internet even more than before. Potential customers are searching the internet for the products or services they want. If you do not have a website, they cannot find you on the internet!

If you own a business today your customers EXPECT you to have a web site. This expectation almost requires you to have some sort of interactive web presence and to have online ordering.
The Internet makes it possible to communicate with your customers on their terms within their time-table. It makes it possible to get information to your customers and automate customer service. Even if you don�t use the Internet to increase your market reach and revenue the Internet has made it possible to keep your customers happy.

There are lots of benefits to having a business website. But the most important is that an Internet web site is now a customer requirement.

Your business can afford a website!  Call North Country Website Design to get more information on how much a website will cost you! (906) 367-5404.