Yesteryear was a much simpler time for small business owners to advertise their local small business. Most small business owners got their name out by phone books, local newspapers, community and the chamber of commerce. Nearly everyone had a phone book to thumb through when they needed a product or service so most small business owners paid for some kind of a listing in the phone book. Those small business owners who could afford to further their marketing campaign paid for ad space in the yellow pages and the local newspapers. Small business owners with large marketing budgets might even spring for a radio or TV advertisement. These forms of marketing where also the way everyone was receiving all their information and the most likely way to brand your small business name. Simply put the more people in the community that knew who you are and the more people that have heard of your small business through advertisements the more business you where likely to generate. Like it or not, modern times, technology and a new information age are here adding complications to the way small business owners try to market and brand their small business name.
Information Age
Let’s face it, phone books and newspapers are heading the same direction of the dinosaurs. Today there are not many people left thumbing through phone books or carrying around the local newspapers but the majority of our population does own or caries some kind of internet device. There is a new breed of consumer looking for services and products that are information hungry. The internet is a major source of information and has created informed consumers that research products, services and business (companies) before they make a purchase or decide what company they may choose to supply a service.
What Good is a Web Site for My Small Business?
A Web Site could be thought of as a marketing tool. Unlike traditional forms of marketing your small business that can be very costly a Web Site is affordable and it works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marketing is a necessary evil small business owners must put in a budget. Without marketing not many people would know who you are or ever hear about your small business. The ultimate goal for most small business owners is having a large number of people know who they are (or have heard of them) that need their product or service while spending the least amount of money. A well designed and marketed Web Site accomplishes this task with the potential to reach a large number of people needing and looking for your product or service at a very reasonable cost.
Will a Web Site Generate more Business?
A Website definitely has the potential to generate business but not all Websites are created equal. A well designed (not so much the look of the website but the code that makes it work); optimized and marketed Website will be found by people searching the internet therefore increasing your exposure and likelihood of generating new business. On the other hand a poorly designed site that is not optimized and marketed most likely will never be seen and is not likely to generate any new business. Another factor to think about is currently nearly 50% of small business does not own Websites. If someone searches for your product or service on the internet and finds your competitor because you don’t have a site and they do, well it’s not hard to figure they stand a better chance of gaining a new customer.
