Why You Need a Website
Even if you're not planning on selling online, a well-made Web site is essential for any business.
By Tim W. Knox
Q: My business is very small, just me and two employees, and our product really
can't be sold online. Do I really need a Web site?
A: That's a good question. In fact, it's one of the most important and often-asked
questions of the digital business age. Before I answer, however, let's flash
back to the very first time I was asked this question. It was circa 1998,
during the toddler years of the internet.
I was giving a speech on the impact of the internet on small business at an
association luncheon in Montgomery, Alabama. Back in 1998, which was decades
ago in internet years, the future of e-commerce was anybody's guess, but even
the most negative futurists agreed that all the signs indicated that a large
portion of future business revenues would be derived from online transactions
or from offline transactions that were the result of online marketing efforts.
So should your business have a website, even if your business is small and
sells products or services you don't think can be sold online? My answer in
1998 is the same as my answer today: Yes, if you have a business, you should
have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt.
Also, don't be so quick to dismiss your product as one that can't be sold
online. Nowadays, there is very little that can't be sold over the Internet.
More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books
to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you
name it. If you can imagine it, someone will figure out how to sell it online.
Internet marketing research firms predict that online revenues will range
between $180 billion and $200 billion in 2003. They also predict that the
number of online consumers will grow at a rate of 30 to 50 percent over the
next few years. These numbers alone should be enough to persuade you that
your business should have a Website.
Let me clarify one point: I am not saying that you should put all your efforts
into selling your wares over the internet, though if your product lends itself
to easy online sales, you certainly should be considering it. The point to
be made here is that you should at the very least have a presence on the web
so that customers, potential employees, business partners and perhaps even
investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the
products or services you have to offer.
That said, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional-looking
website if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search
for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store,
your website may be the first chance you have at making a good impression
on a potential buyer. If your website looks like it was designed by a barrel
of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will
be lost.
One of the great things about the internet is that it has leveled the playing
field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have
one shot at making a good first impression. With a well-designed website,
your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much
larger company. The inverse is also true. I've seen many big company websites
that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked
professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them.
You also mention that yours is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting
from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you are a one-man show
or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't have a website, you are
losing business to other companies that do.
Here's the exception to my rule: It's actually better to have no website at
all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your website speaks
volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our
business so seriously that we have created this wonderful website for our
customers!" or it screams, "Hey, look, I let my 10-year-old nephew
design my site. Good luck finding anything!"
Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure you treat it
as such.
Tim W. Knox is the founder, president and CEO of four
successful technology companies: B2Secure Inc., a Web-based hiring management
software company; Digital Graphiti Inc., a software development company; and
Sidebar Systems, a company that creates cutting edge convergence software
for broadcast media outlets; and Online Profits 4U, an e-business dedicated
to helping online entrepreneurs start and prosper from an online, wholesale
or drop-ship business.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, not of JASystemsInc.com. All answers are intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas or circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consulting an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or accountant.
