Reasons For Putting Your Business on the World Wide Web

Establishing A Presence.

Globally, more than 50 million people access the World Wide Web - and this figure increases every single day. Few businesses can ignore a market of this size. Shortly, e-mail addresses and Web sites have become the equivalent to having a phone number and business card. There’s no denying these are crucial elements to businesses large and small.
 

Networking.

Linking your pages to those of your networked associates, venders, customers, and other contacts, refers clients back and forth. Businesses that produce goods or services that compliment other goods or services can create a network circle that enabling customers to easily find and purchase all the pieces of the puzzle with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Providing Availability Advertising.

We all use the Yellow Pages to find local businesses and services. Imagine a Global Yellow Pages where all you need do is tell it what you want and it quickly brings you to exactly that - welcome to the World Wide Web!.

You may list basic information (your business expertise, location, hours, how to contact you, methods of payment, and so on) and update it instantly (time-sensitive specials, current interest rates, announcements, and press releases) as needed. You can even have an entire catalog, including full-color photographs and graphics, available for instant viewing and ordering.

Augmenting Traditional Advertising.

What if you could include a brochure every time you handed out a business card? What if you could include one with every piece of letterhead, print or broadcast ad, and even on your telephone's hold messages? Including your web site address does exactly that! A web site address is small enough to fit on a business card, yet provides instant access to your entire sales pitch, inventory, etc. Better yet, with the use of e-mail to get and give feedback while the questions are still fresh in your customer's mind or to take purchase orders or to provide customer service, a web site can save time and expense in telephone charges, postage, and labor. Just look through any newspaper or magazine and you’ll notice more and more web site addresses printed within advertisements.

Customer Service.

It's easier to keep old, established customers than to get a new ones. A web site helps keep an open line of communication - an integral means of serving your customers. Via your web site, you can post company and product information, tips for troubleshooting, request forms, and so on.  Collectively, these tools will help you build more solid and stable relationships with your customers.

Publicity.

Today’s Media ride the cutting edge of advanced electronic communication. Information is their product. The Internet allows them to get their information quicker, cheaper, and easier than ever before. Smart businesses realize and cater to this, making online press kits more commonplace If you make it easier for the press, the more likely and faster it will be for your news to appear in articles.

Opening International Markets.

The further into the future we travel, the less of an obstacle physical distance becomes. With telephones and fax machines we no longer had to wait days or weeks for information to travel via the mail. With the invent of the Internet we not only no longer have to wait for our information to clear international customs but we can send it electronically virtually for free - just the normal monthly expense of our Internet Service Provider. Today, not only can we get our information around the globe in mere moments but we can have it translated into a vast array of languages as part of the processes.

Testing New Services, Products, and Markets.

Web sites allow companies to globally release new products and services instantly upon their availability rather than having to wait until the next catalog goes to print.  This can be accomplished by simply updating a web page - at a fraction of the cost of printing that new catalog  Because the Internet is designed for two-way communication, companies can also receive immediate feedback from your customers, field offices, etc.

Reaching Desirable Demographic Markets.

Internet users collectively make up one of the most desirable demographic markets. They tend to be college educated, high income, credit card holders. Just read any business or financial periodical if you aren’t convinced.  The sheer dollar amount spent on online purchases, just over the traditional holiday periods alone, is staggering.  Why should your business miss out on this market?

Reaching Specialized Markets.

Let’s face it, there are some goods and services that definitely have their own niche market. Often times, it’s extremely difficult to find providers of unusual products. With the power of the World Wide Web, potential customers can find you by simply typing their interest into a search engine - but only if you’re online.

24-Hour, 7-Day Accessibility.

Let’s face it, most businesses have to close for even a few hours a day. Because the Internet is global, orders may come in during those down times and, if the customer is in a hurry, the sale may be lost. With a web site equipped with e-commerce tools, that customer could have looked up all the information they needed, placed their order online, and supplied a credit card for payment - all while your employees were home, in bed, and sleeping. Better yet, via the internet, all this could have been done for less than the cost of sending a fax.

Saving Money.

With a web site complete with online catalog and product ordering system, companies can literally save thousands of dollars in printing costs, telephone costs, and advertising expenses.  While you may still require some hard copy printing, it can be done in much smaller quantities.  This way, when either your company, product, or pricing changes, the loss associated with outdated printing is minimized. Further, offering a printable brochure via your web site allows your customers and potential customers, the ability to have a hard copy - printed at their own expense.

Selling.

Sales, of course, is the most important part of any business. Without it, there would be no business.  A smart businessperson will have already realized how the previous dozen reasons can maintain and increase sales. With the power of the Internet and a professionally designed and managed web site, companies can increase exposure to new markets and customers in mass proportions. However, the Internet can also be a two-edged sword.  Businesses offering poorly manufactured products or inept service can be exposed quickly. While no sale is ever guaranteed, using the power of the Internet to sell can definitely turn marketing strategies into much smaller gambles.

Via the Internet clients can find you or your business; review your information in text, pictures, and even sound and video; contact your sales staff; and place an order from their own desks within a matter of minutes, 24-hours a day. No other form of business communication provides this degree of sales support.