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WHO
NEEDS A WEB SITE?
Imagine this scenario. You're making
a career-changing sales presentation before a buying
committee. You're
dressed to impressed, your word selection is Shakespearean,
your handout is panoramic, the moon is in the 7th
house, and Jupiter is aligned with Mars. Just
when you are about to whip out the order form, some wise guy
on the committee retorts, " I don't see your
web address on this business card. You DO have one
don't you?" He
phrases the question in a way that suggests, "if you
don't have a web site, then I'm sure the horse you rode
in on must be thirsty by now."
Times are changing. Whether we like it or not, there are
some things in business that we must do, if for no other reason,
because everyone else is doing it.
It's sort of like that dark blue suit you wore to
your last job interview.
It didn't really make you more or less qualified,
but you might not want to be the only person
to show up in a mudcloth kaftan.
Business decision-makers are more comfortable dealing with people
that "fit in".
(Don't you just hate that?) And if those
decision-makers have to answer to someone else, or worse yet, a
committee, the pressure to take the safest route is
insurmountable.
If peer pressure alone is not a compelling enough reason
to submit to the web-site-owning mania, then there are some
more substantive reasons to get a web site.
Unlike a few years ago when there just weren't
enough people surfing the web to make a web site investment
worth your time and money. Now if you don't have one,
you run the risk of being viewed as a regressive anomaly.
There are numerous
tangible, as well as intangible, reasons to own a web site. Look
at your web site the same way as you look at your
telephone. It might ring only once a year, but
try explaining to someone that the reason you don't have a
telephone is because you get most of your orders in the mail.
Good luck. They'll
probably think you're the Unabomber.
While
the stigma of not owning a web site has not quite
reached that proportion, it's not far off.
In
the old days, only companies with certain budgets could
justify the cost of a web site. But in the current "gotta
have it now" climate, a
web site is a staple. Whether
it's for your business, non-profit, class reunion or
personal use, the web site has elbowed its way into the
mainstream, right up there with the telephone and business
card.
I
get asked all the time by business owners, managers, startup
companies and others, "do I need a website?"
Well, the short answer is "yes". The long answer
is "absolutely".
Listed below are some of the common benefits of owning a web
site:
·
Gain
and maintain credibility
·
Market
and advertise
·
Sell
product online
·
Save
money on printing literature
·
Receive
instant feedback from visitors
·
Generate
leads for follow up on sales efforts
·
Expand
hours of operation
·
Increase
distribution channels
·
Save
money on staff (avoid repeating routine information)
·
Share
time-sensitive information with customers, employees,
investors, etc, i.e. prices, new products, etc.
·
Publish
newsletters and other promotional materials
·
Include
pictures, demos, samples, i.e., products, book reviews,
audio clips, video clips, etc.
·
Provide
directions to your location, including maps
So
as you can see, besides being a status symbol, a web site
can actually put money in your pocket.
Before you buy however, make sure that your web site
aspirations are commensurate with your budget.
There are some good bargains out there, but the best
buys are the ones that also include a means of attracting
visitors to your site.
The
author is Robert L. Gatewood, MBA, president of Gatewood
Marketing, a Washington, DC-area based company that
specializes in marketing, advertising and web strategy.
For
advertising rates on SistaCircle.com, or information
on how to get an affordable SistaSite,
click here!
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