This day and age, everyone is online. Whether they’re surfing the web on their lunch break, checking Safari on their smart phone or watching their favorite show on Hulu, the internet has infiltrated our lives. Don’t believe me? Try not looking at the internet for 48 hours. It’s much harder than you think. Everything from weather updates, restaurant addresses and movie times are looked up constantly.
It would make sense that if you have a business, you should have a website. Or at least a way for people to find you online. Is Facebook enough for your business or do you need a full blown website? Below are some questions to consider when making your decision.
Who Are Your Target Customers
Do you have a business that caters to teenagers? Or a small mechanic’s shop? Do you sell products online? All this matters because you will market and advertise to your potential customers. Teens spend most of their time on youtube and Facebook. So having a good Facebook page might reach them easier than a website. If you are looking at selling your products online, a website is a must that has an e-commerce store attached. If you get most of your business by word of mouth, a website might not be the best option immediately.
What Is Your Budget
Developing a website is a business investment. No different than purchasing a computer, buying start up supplies or paying for business cards. It can be pricey depending how complex you want it, but you should be ready to pay at least $2500 for a basic site. You can try and make your own but as someone who tried, I don’t recommend it. Once it’s set up, the web developer should educate you on how to make changes and updates yourself so you won’t have annoying on-going fees. If you can swing it, developing a website is a smart tool to market your company.
Do You Have The Capacity To Keep Up With It
A good website stays current. It should have an active news feed/updates. If you can blog, you should do that too. And you should be prepared to share the website with people. Many companies hire someone to keep up with their website and social media outlets. But building a beautiful site won’t help you much if it sits stagnant. Put your money to work and advertise it!
Is There A Need
Have people asked you what your website is? Are you at a loss as to where to direct potential customers to get info about your company? Does your competitor have a fantastic website that might be pulling business from you? If any of these answers are a yes, you should consider building a website. Realistically, you’re losing an edge if you don’t have one. If I’m researching a business, say a restaurant, on yelp and they don’t have a link to a website, I almost always pass them over for one that does. There’s too many options to go with someone who doesn’t have immediate information about their business online.
Lisa Coronado is a content writer for CoolBlueWeb.
