Small Business Marketing Tips
Does A Local Business Need A Web Site?
April, 2008
Our topic last month on accountable advertising should have given you a lot to think about in evaluating your business advertising. Let's continue with a look at another area where most small businesses waste money - ineffective web sites.
The most ineffective web site of all is one that doesn't exist. If you're in business, you should have one, period. Even if you're just local. There are three primary reasons for this. First, it helps you establish credibility. These days, the lack of a web site is a warning flag to customers who may worry that you'll be here today and gone tomorrow. Second, it provides you with an opportunity to establish a relationship with potential customers and stay in touch with them in a non-confrontational way. Third, it allows you to establish yourself as an expert and trusted advisor by providing information about your service or industry that is helpful and informative.
Here's how most small businesses waste their web site money. They treat it like a big print ad and make all the mistakes that we talked about last month - big company name, pretty pictures, a blurb about how wonderful they are, and little or nothing about the benefits to the customer. Sometimes they have their cousin put up an amateurish web site for them that just screams, "Look, we were too cheap to hire someone." Or they simply list on some community or organizational site and don't even get their own domain name. These decisions do not build confidence in your potential customers!
The key steps to an effective web site start with getting your own domain name - "MyCompany.com." You can register the name for $10-$15 per year, so it's not expensive. If the name you want is already taken, there are lots of options for similar names and you can usually find a good one. You can have your web site hosted by a competent internet company for $10 - $20 per month, so that's not expensive, either.
You'll want to have the web site built by a graphically talented professional or gifted amateur who is willing to take direction from you. That means you have to be clear about what the site is about. To do that you need to think like a customer. Anticipate what someone coming to your site might be looking for, or want to know, and make sure the answers are easy to find. Just like your other ads, you want to identify the problems the customer might have and show the solutions or benefits the customer will get. If you let your marketing get egocentric with "We're the greatest!" splashed all over the page, you'll be disappointed in your results. Start your page with a headline, just like a print ad, that identifies a problem or benefit, and follow it up with supporting material. And answer their questions.
Let me give you a good example. Recently my wife and I were thinking about trying a particular local restaurant for the first time. We weren't sure that they served what we wanted, so I thought. "Maybe they have a web site." I found it easily using the restaurant name and a search on Google. Now there's three primary things people might come to a restaurant site to find, and these are - hours of operation, location, and menu. All were clearly found on the first page, including a link to print out a copy of the menu! Somebody had thought this web site through and they got it right. I was impressed! The food was excellent, too.
One thing that's important, especially here in the White Mountains, is that if you want people to come to your establishment, make it clear where you are. Just giving an address on White Mountain Blvd is not enough. Give some landmarks and clear directions. It's amazing how many companies around here think that just an address is enough.
I mentioned at the start of this article that your web site should allow you to establish a relationship with customers and position you as an informative expert. We'll have to talk about that next month.
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