So you don’t think you need a website? (Think again.)

As a web designer, I’ve heard all kinds of reasons business people give for why they don’t need a website. Although I don’t think that a website is always the key to business success, I do think that many people may be missing great opportunities by buying into that belief.  Here are some common positions that they may take and some things I ask them to think about.

I already have as much business as I can handle.

• A website could still save you time. For example, online product information (such as spec sheets and manuals) can provide customers with pre-sales answers as well as post-sales support. Self-help information for common questions can reduce the time you spend on providing support, instruction and information.
• A website can help you stretch your other marketing efforts by encouraging customers to use your site to get more information and special offers.
• Add-on sales can be increased by displaying products related to the ones they are viewing online. Customer satisfaction may be improved by showing them how they can get more out of the products they already have or are considering.

Word of mouth works well enough for me.

• Is “well enough” enough? Do you have an email list where customers opt-in so they can be notified in advance about special offers?
• You can find out if “well enough” for you is really “well enough” for your customers. Your website can have built-in methods for staying in touch with customers, getting feedback and suggestions. By getting such information, you can find out better ways to serve them online.
• You can leverage word of mouth by using social media. Website visitors can use Facebook, Twitter, email and other services, to share content with others. They can even recommend the products that they like to others.

People don’t use the internet to find me.

• 97% of consumers who buy from local businesses do at least some online research before buying. If they search online to find a source for the product or services they are most likely to buy from one they find online.
• You can capitalize on people who are NOT specifically searching for you or your products. For example, if someone is searching for “bathtub replacement” and your website for bathtub reconditioning shows the advantage of reconditioning over replacement.  That person may well go the reconditioning route (i.e., your business) instead.

My customers wouldn’t be internet users

• Even if this is true (for example, if you provide services to critically ill patients), the person making or influencing decisions on their behalf is an internet user who will use the web to get needed information.
• More and more sectors of the population (such as senior citizens) are becoming savvier in use of the internet and relying on it to gather information. All segments of the population are increasing their use of email, Facebook, online couponing, online games, movie reviews, Google searching, vacation planning, smartphones, ebooks, and online shopping. Is your business keeping pace with shifts in the habits of your best customers? Or are you risking losing them to competitors who are more attuned?

My customers know what I sell.

• Obviously, that’s a good thing. Loyal customers are often the best type. But many customers buy the same thing each time. Do they know that you also offer accessories, products, and services to get more performance from their purchase? Do they know about the NEW products you’ve added? New ways to use the product?
• Loyalty and habit only go so far. It doesn’t take much for loyal customers to jump ship follow new trends as soon as they appear.

Everyone already knows that I’m better than my competitors – and why.

• Can you sustain that loyalty when a big-name competitor moves in to your territory? Despite your customers’ comfort with your familiarity, there’s always an attraction to a new face. Newness and responsiveness to change gets attention. Having a website that continuously offers new and up-to-date information is a proven way to get the attention of website visitors (or customers) and the all-important high search engine rankings.

I can’t afford a web site.

• Can you afford NOT to have one? A professionally developed website can help build your brand, generate new sales and new customers, reward customer loyalty, provide customer support.
• A custom website with a Content Management System (CMS) can be built to your needs. A CMS makes it easy for non-technical people to update your content with new and changing information. This makes your website more attractive to customers and very cost-effective to maintain. It also means that you can start with a lower-cost site that can adapt to your changing business needs.

I already have a website. I’m happy with my web developer. The price is right. I know I’m getting all the results I can out of it.

• Congratulations! Do you ever think about getting a free second opinion?
• Although we’re not big on stealing business away from other web designers, we believe that the more you know, the better off you are. We believe in educating our customers so they can make the best decisions, whether that means they stay with the status quo or go with us.
• We can offer a quick, no obligation, assessment to identify opportunities for improvement.

I have a website built by the Yellow Pages (or Yellow Book or other).

• You can get a much more effective website for a small fraction of the price. And you can update it yourself at any time with being charged every time. You get a custom designed site instead of a mass-produced, rubber stamp solution.

My nephew (or secretary or other) can build me a website for next to nothing.

• Does this person have expertise in web marketing, email marketing, writing for the web, business, graphic design, search engine optimization, web servers, and programming? Are they up on the latest tools, technology, and trends? If the builder of the website doesn’t have a balance of these skills your site may look nice but never attract visitors. Or it may contain good content but with a design that drives away visitors in frustration trying to navigate through it.
• To make matters worse, you won’t have what you need to assess where the website falls short? In fact, you may not even recognize that serious issues exist and think that the website is great. Opportunities may be missed at many levels.
• Will that person be available when you have a problem or need to make changes? Or when they go back to school?

I can build it myself.

• How long have you been planning to do that?  Are you losing out on more opportunities than you’d save by avoiding paying a professional to do it?
• Do you have the time? Or the patience? Do you have the experience gained from doing this many, many times for different types of organizations? Do you have someone to bail you out when you get stuck?
• Do you know how to make it effective? Do you have the knowledge and tools to assess whether it is, in fact, effective?
• Can you be objective and design your site from the standpoint of what your customer needs from the site?

I can get a website for free… or really, really cheap.

• There are a number of free and cheap online services where you can build a website yourself. This may be the best and only route to go if you have no budget. We’re glad to point them out to you because we compare very favorably. Plus we recognize that we may not be the best solution for your needs.
• The free sites compared to our sites:
  • Third-party advertising on your website generates revenue for the hosting provider. Ads distract your visitors with the intention of drawing them from your site. Smart technology reads the content of your site to determine its nature. It uses this information to serve up ads for similar types of businesses and your geographic area. Often this means that your site is advertising a direct competitor just down the road from you!
  • Free sites often limit the amount of content you can display. You may be limited to 5 pages or so many megabytes of space.
  • The speed of these sites can be very slow and you have no control over that.
  • You are very limited in how you can optimize the site to get search engine results.
  • You cannot get instant statistical reports to spot traffic trends and you cannot drill down to get detailed data that would be useful assessing results and making improvements.
  • Support is limited and may be by email only.
  • You have limited options for backing up and software updates.
  • You are limited to standard templates and very basic features.
  • Additional features, if available, can be costly.

I already have a website.

• Is your website getting results you want? Do you have specific measurable goals?  Are you attaining those goals?
• Can you get instant reports at any time that can tell you… How many people came to your website? How did they discover your site? What search engines and search terms were used?  How many were mobile users? What content draws the most attention? What content is overlooked? How do the numbers compare to previous time periods?
• Knowing this information helps you understand your target audience. It helps you see where, and how, your website can be modified to get better results.