Should You Get a Website ?

Websites ≠ Print Advertising

First, I'd like to clear up one of the biggest misconceptions about small business internet websites. That misconception is, that a website is the same thing as a yellow page ad or a display ad in your local newspaper. While they may appear the same at first glance, they are not. Think of a website as both an extension and the real muscle behind your print advertising. A Yellow page ad is great advertising and when you can provide a web address in the ad, you not only gain credibility as a professional, but you offer your potential customers a way to further research and explore your business without leaving their home.

Get Noticed Online

Other than being a great extension of your print advertising a website is also a great stand-alone advertisement. A beacon for your business broadcast across the entire world. Internet use is still on the rise not only among Americans but all over the planet. Nielson reported 153 million active home internet users for May 2008 in the USA. That is a two million user increase over April of the same year. Keep in mind too, that Nielson defines an active home user as a person who has logged onto the internet in the past 30 days! So we are not just talking about people who have internet access, but people that are using that access to find what they want consistently.

The Reach of the Net Grows

Not only is internet use as a whole growing, but the reach across all demographics is also constantly expanding. Currently the fastest growing demographic on the internet is the folks who are over fifty years old. People who once proudly considered themselves "strictly off-line", are now flocking to the internet, they are receiving email, they are shopping amazon and ebay, they are planning trips online, some of them even have myspace profiles. The amazing growth of the internet across all demographics is proof positive that businesses that don't have a presence on the web are losing more and more revenue to their competitors that do. Consider not having a website, the same as not being listed in the phone book, except the internet is like the phone book for the world, not just your locale.

Let's Keep it Simple

Websites shouldn't be complicated, in fact I believe the simpler the better. Too many flashing banners, and too much scrolling text drives people away. Think about your own use on the internet. When you go to a site, you are searching for information, not advertisements. That is what your focus should be when you are considering what to put on your site, and who should build your site. Often times, free websites, and free web space are accompanied by added banners which not only don't allow control over the layout, but most importantly don't allow control of the content of the banners. If another company which you list services or products with offered you a free website with your subscription (Yellow Page Companies often do this), it is almost 100% assured that their name and at least two or three links to their site will appear on your free webpage. Usually these free sites are made from a sort of "webpage mold" where they input the exact information they got from your yellow page and print ads, and then cram it all into the mold that they use for every single user of their service.

This Will Bite You Twice.

First, since they use very little original ad copy, the information contained in your website is nearly identical to the information in your print ads. This means your website is not an extension to your print ads as it should be, but simply a copy of the same ad your potential customer has used to get to your web page, in other words, they already know the information on the web page, they aren't learning anything new, and click, they are gone. Original and colorful ad copy that extends beyond your print advertising, and adds a unique face to your business is a must, and it is included when you let wrwebsite.com handle your website.

Secondly, a "cookie-cutter" website never looks clean, neat and organized, I've honestly never seen a good one. Maybe the address doesn't fit in it's border, or your list of services is totally mis-aligned, or the map to your business sends your customer to the wrong side of town. Whatever the specific issue may be, it all means the same thing: Potential customers are not perceiving your business's image positively. When you let wrwebsite.com help you with your website, you can rest assured that the page will look clean, the ad copy will be inviting, and your next website visitor will view your business as the professional, competent establishment that you know it is.