Are you undecided whether you should have a website for your business or not?
Below are some advantages of having a website for your business. Note that every business might be different and every business might have a distinct need; yet generally, we all need to market our business and having a website is one of the most affordable ways to do that.
- Your business can be readily available to almost everyone all the time through your website.
- Customers usually want convenience and ease in trying to deal with their concerns. Websites usually have contact forms where customers can easily send a message, question, or feedback. Make sure you are prompt in replying as customers want a speedy reply most of the time. Within 24 hours is still considered as prompt when it comes to emails.
- Easily update your business info or promos on your website. Unlike traditional brochures, flyers, and banners – you do not have to wait for the printing to complete before you can promote. Additionally, new websites are using very good platforms (content management systems) like Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress that makes publishing on the web easy, fast, and professional-looking (even my grade 5 niece can find her way with it). If you know how to type and print using Microsoft Word, that is how close it can get with these platforms.
- Your business can extend and expand beyond your locality having the possibility to reach new customers as well as suppliers.
- Your website can present a professional image to your business.
- Lastly, your website can be your most effective marketing tool which is at the same time far more affordable than traditional marketing.
Note that we are not trying to do away with the offline marketing strategies. We need them too. But when you are on a tight budget, invest on a website. There are many affordable yet competitive online marketing providers. Do a research.
The next question might be:
Why the need for a website when we can easily and freely use Facebook pages?
Branding is one answer.
Yes, make use of Facebook pages. Go and get a Twitter account. Go further with Google plus and LinkedIn. They are all useful. In the end, you still need to make a brand. You still need to create your own website with your brand.
If the brand you need to promote is iBizLeverage, you can have iBizLeverage.com as your website – while you still maintain your http://www.facebook.com/iBizLeverage and your http://twitter.com/iBizLeverage. In fact, if you have an account from a dozen of these social networks, they can all be linked to your main website. Facebook is not your brand, it is Facebook’s as well as as Twitter is of Twitter’s. Brand you business with your own business domain and have a website. (Note: branding goes beyond the website; it is just one of the faucets though).
Create your brand from your own website while building your brand from other brands like the popular social networks. Personally, I see it this way: the social networks are like offering us food and street stall licenses. We have the licenses but we do not own any of the social networks. Yet we can operate as prescribed by the Terms of Service. At the same time while trying to operate these stalls, I have my own restaurant and storage where I do most of my stuff. Do you see it this way?
Works at iBizLeverage Web Services, Internet/website marketing company in Cebu Philippines, for SMBs (small- and medium-scale businesses).
