| Four Reasons Why You Need A Website
Small businesses need internet presence more
than large businesses. Why? Here are four reasons why.
1. To exist for prospects. A vast majority of
consumers go to the internet when looking for a product or service. If your
company is not found, then you do not exist for them. With internet presence
you will be able to magnetize multitudes to your unique products and services.
2. Name recognition. If consumers don’t know
about you, because you are a small business, they won’t know to type your
website address when looking for your service. For example, someone wanting to
buy a computer is likely to type in Dell or Apple on the search engines because
those names are familiar and recognizable. This is what is meant by name
recognition. However, someone looking for a transcription service is unlikely
to type gmrtranscription.com (a small transcription company). It is vital,
then, that the owners of gmrtranscription.com find internet presence on the
search engines. Search engines are vehicles that scan the web searching for a
website that matches the key words given it.
3. To establish credibility and reputation.
Consumers like to research a company over the web before setting a foot in the
door. If you do not have internet presence, you lose them. Large businesses
have no such problem because of their better name recognition, reputation and
track record.
4. To widen your sphere of influence. Large
businesses have distribution networks that give them regional, national, or
global presence. Internet presence is the first, best and sometimes the only
option for small businesses to get national or global presence.
What Is Internet Presence? Of What Does It Consist?
Internet presence does not only mean a website
for your business; it also means that when your prospects are looking for the
product and services you offer, they find your website. A percentage of those
who find your website through a search engine are likely to become your
customers if your website is clear, commanding, creative and meets the criteria
in this book.
The good news is that you can quickly compete
with your larger competitors through a well-planned and well-executed internet
strategy. Moreover, the cost of execution should not be high if you, as a small
business owner use creative internet presence options available through website
design/marketing companies.
Make sure that your website
is an extension of your overall marketing and positioning strategy.
Your website design and message should reflect your business
philosophy and your unique value proposition. (UVP) (USP, unique
selling proposition is interchangeable with UVP and is just another
say of expressing why people choose your company and products/services
over other companies with similar products/services.) It is very
important to identify why your customers choose you over other
people; all things being equal. You might need to survey them
to find out, but it any case, it takes careful observation. The
main point here is that your marketing strategies must all be
integrated and going towards the same direction, all thrusting
forward on your purposes towards well defined goals.
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