WHY YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE
Many people turn to the internet before making purchases. Why? Because it is easier, costs them next to nothing and they can be educated on where to buy, how much they should be paying and the closest place they can buy this product or service.
For generation Y onwards the internet is their preferred method of finding goods and services before buying or in many cases the final purchase is facilitated via the internet.
This means a significant and rapidly growing slice of your target market demand to find what they are looking for on the Internet. If you're not there to give these people what they want they will find it elsewhere. Using the internet to promote your organisation is no longer an option, it is a necessity.
Around-the-clock availability: Customers shop and compare prices now more than ever before and the internet offers a powerful, quick and efficient way to do so. If your competition is online, you should be there also. A website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It will be your hardest-working employee, never getting sick, or taking holiday. And you can always rest assured that your website is there for you – to answer to your customers` questions, or to collect their feedback instead of you.
Save time: People like doing business with people they know and trust, with a website, prospective customers can learn about you and your business at any time of the day or night without you having to be involved with the process. The time you would otherwise spend on answering or re-directing of your customers` questions can be now saved and invested in further activities to increase your profits, in other words – in further expansion of your business.
Save money: Internet marketing is more cost effective than any print media and is a far better investment than a yellow pages advert. You can save a lot of money spent otherwise on print and postage costs for brochures, coupons, flyers, specials, newsletters, and other mailings. Furthermore, while regular renewals of printed materials can be quite expensive and also time consuming, updating information on your website is always handy, fast and most importantly, efficient. As we all know, nothing is more valued in a business than optimal productivity for minimal input costs.
Increase customer convenience: Searching for businesses and products over the Internet is much easier and quicker than leafing through the Yellow Pages. Anytime a potential or existing customer wants to find out more about your business, they can easily do that, especially if you have a 'frequently asked questions' page. Your customers can be always in touch with you, all they need to know is the address of your website.
Increase your legitimacy: As a customer you want to know the company you are buying from is legitimate and runs a reputable business. A professional website lends legitimacy to your business and can lead to increased sales. Every big business has a website and every small business should too! A well designed website presents a more professional image than a larger competitor whose web presence appears weak or amateurish.
- In 2007-08, 67% of Australian households had Internet access.
- In 2007-08, the number of households with broadband Internet connection was an estimated 4.3 million. This represents over half (52%) of all households in Australia and 78% of households who have Internet access.
Source: ABS