Business Website Do I Really Need One?
Date Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008

A business web site , do I really need a one?
You’re busy, don’t want to bother, don’t want to spend the money. But then there’s that nagging feeling that you ought to have a presence on the web. Before you spend any money on a web site ask yourself these questions. The answers will help you understand first, if you need a Web site, and second, how a site can enhance your business.

Do your prospective clients use the Web to look for your type of products or services?
These days, people use the Web to buy just about anything, a holiday a car, the week's groceries even a takeaway meal! Whether you are a service or product base business, your clients will expect to find you on the web.

Do you sell or offer a service that people research before they buy?
If you are a service based business, chances are, you’re not offering something that people buy on impulse. For example, if you offer consultantancy services, prospective clients will want to research your background. A web site gives you an opportunity to explain your services and highlight your results via case studies.

Do your competitors have web sites...keep up with the Jones's?
Imagine that a prospective client is considering hiring you and is attempting to use the web to compare your services to the competition’s. If you don’t have a site, it makes you appear less established and professional. It’s like not having a business card.

Are your competitors larger than you?
The web can help you level the playing field. With a well-crafted, highly professional web site you can close the gap between you and your comeptitiors and even get ahead!

How much time do you spend explaining what exactly it is that you do?
Do you find yourself explaining exactly what you do over and over again. You could use a web site not to replace that personal touch but to enchance it instead. Posting a clear, concise statement of what you do on the web will help you to filter in those prospective clients that need your service or product, whilst at the sametime it acts as a polite and efficient way of filtering out those that don't.

Is it important that your business project a highly professional image?
Perhaps you work at home...in your bathrobe? Who needs to know? They won’t figure it out from your professional web site. In fact, a well designed site can project whatever image you want for your business, whether it’s ultra-conservative, chic or young and funky.

Do your clients themselves have web sites?
If they do, you can bet that they consider the web to be an important business asset and would think it strange if you don’t have one.

Do you want to expand your business beyond your current customer base?
If you want to grow your business you’ll need a web site to reach clients in new areas. Suppose you’ve always focused on one industry but now want to offer a new service tailored to a different industry. You could create a special section on your web site that resonates with the new, intended audience.

Do you want to reduce your sales and marketing costs?
Printing materials can be expensive. Then you have to figure out how to get it into the hands of your prospects. You can put the same type of content on your web site, update it easily when you have changes, and send emails to prospects to entice them to your site...and eventually do business.

Do you find yourself answering the same customer questions, again and again?
By providing a web site Freqently Asked Questions (FAQ) you can avoid repeating the same answers over and over. Your customers will be happy to get the answers they need at their own convenience...what is they urgently needed the information, if you did not have a site, maybe they would simply go to your competitor instead.

Do you want to increase the effectiveness of your business development activities?
A web site is a great way to reinforce the effectiveness of your other business development and marketing efforts, such as ads and press releases. If you put your web address on all of your materials you can draw people to your site, where you can provide more details.

By now, you should perhaps be able to answer the original question - a business web site - do I really need one?
Having answered these questions you’ve got a good idea of why your business should have a web site. It’s an important asset that can work double-duty to help your business succeed. And even if you don’t expect new prospects to discover you via the web, you know that a web site will help you at the next stage, when clients are researching you. It will make you look like serrious contender.