Do I Really Need a Website for my Business?

Posted by
Paul Wackell – Imagine Web Designs
Principal Website Designer – Marketing Consultant

When I was first asked this question 7 years ago, by my first potential client, I must say, I didn’t have an answer. I’m sure I stumbled through some explanation that seemed plausible, since she did become my first client, but I certainly wasn’t confident about the answer.

After the meeting I spent quite a bit of time thinking about that question and what I’d say the next time someone asked me. The answer then was “it depends upon your business”. I know this might seem ridiculous today, but back then, offline marketing was all the rage. Cable TV and radio still ruled the roost. Advertisements in local papers, magazines and yellow pages were still an absolute must; at least according to the marketing pundits, that web thing, we’re just not that sure about that.

My how things have changed! Ask me that question now – Do I really need a website for my business? – Answer – ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, YES!

Why? There are hundreds of reasons why, but here are just a few. Your competition has one. When is the last time you actually looked at the yellow pages? When is the last time you received a direct mail piece aka junk mail, and didn’t put it directly into the circular file?

The market place is highly competitive and if you aren’t at the top of your game you lose. You might as well just wait around for your government bailout! Still waiting! Don’t hold your breath!

To be a successful small business owner you must take advantage of the web as not just a marketing tool but as the primary marketing tool  for your business. YES, YES, YES, you need a website! You also need a web marketing strategy that includes other electronic media such  social networking and other inbound and outbound marketing strategies. More on these topics in other entries.

Going forward we will bring you blog entries about what makes a great website, from design, to content,  and search engine optimization. What to do once you have a website. We will delve into topics such as web stats and what they are good for. Why blogging is important, and so much more.

We will from time to time bring you fun entries about cool things we found on the web. We strive to be informative and entertaining. We look forward to bringing you all things web!