It doesn’t matter if your business is small with only 3 employees (or less) or if you are just starting up. It doesn’t matter if you believe that your products or services cannot be sold online. If you have a business, you need to have a website.

Credibility

This day and age, having a presence on the web is arguably just as important as having a store or office location. The internet is now the primary resource for information of any kind. If people are not able to search for your business online, you immediately lose a considerable amount of credibility. In contrast, having a professional looking website instantly grants your business an image of authenticity and legitimacy. It’s funny but true. Through the eyes of the general public, having a website is much like having a valid business license.

Exposure

Did you know that 50% of consumers (and growing) research a product or service online before making the purchase? Think about it this way: If your business does not have a website, you are not even being short-listed by 50% of the market. Listing your business on the web also opens it up to whole new dimension, because the internet is global with more than 1.6 billion people using it each day. The potential here is immensely higher than advertising on the radio or TV. Furthermore, having a website makes your business much easier to market. You can have all your products or services listed in detail on your site, but all you need to advertise is your web address or URL.

Convenience/Efficiency

Imagine a company which sells hundreds of products. The traditional method of presenting these products would be using print catalogues. Nowadays, by listing all the products and details on the web, the company saves the expense of printing said catalogues. It saves the time (and fees) of sending these catalogues to distant prospects. It saves the hassle of having lengthy phone conversations between reps and inquirers because agents can simply direct clients to the company website. On the whole, a tremendous amount of time and money is saved. Although not every company offers hundreds of products, the concept is the same and applies to all businesses of any scope. By simply listing the contact information of your business on the web, you allow it to be accessible by anyone at anytime. That’s the magic of the internet – it never closes.

Cost Advantage

What many people don’t realize is how inexpensive it is to have a website. Typically, a domain name costs about $10-15 per year. Web hosting (which means keeping your site online for people to view) plans range from $5-20 per month. So you can be spending less than $100 per year to acquire credibility, exposure, convenience and efficiency. Ask any sharp business owner and they will tell you that’s a bargain.