Did you know that according to a survey by The Discover Small Business Watch, only 38% of small businesses have a business website or other online presence? Even in the Information Age, small businesses still have excuses for a lack of Web presence.
With apologies to David Letterman, here are the top 10 excuses companies have for not having a business website and why there are no more excuses.
- I didn’t know I needed a website. They say that ignorance is bliss, but it is no excuse. According to the US Census Bureau, 70% of Americans use the Internet every day, and that number is growing. Younger and wealthier customers expect to see you online. Older people are also discovering the Internet en masse. All of these people are potential customers.
- Iyou are too hard to make a website. Scared of style sheets? Does JavaScript make you jump? Have HTML horror? Don’t even know where to start? It’s okay. The rise of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web design tools mean that if you can use Microsoft Office tools to perform basic tasks, you can create a professional-looking business website.
- I don’t know how to make a website. Learning how to make a website for your business is easier than ever. If you are reading this, you are already on your way.
- It takes too much time to make a website. Thanks to those same WYSIWYG tools, in the time it takes to watch the game on TV, you can create a website for your business. You can also update your business website on the fly.
- It costs too much money to make a website. You really don’t need to pay a lot to hire a fancy web design company, buy expensive software, or pay a lot to have your web domain hosted. You can do all of this yourself, and you can do it for free. Don’t forget the money (and trees) you save by printing fewer flyers and brochures.
- My business is not big enough to need a website. The Internet is a place where size does not matter. Your individual store can play and win on the same stage as the Fortune 500.
- I don’t sell anything online, so I don’t need a website. You may not be online, but your customers and competitors are online. Whether your customers are new to town or first-time buyers of your product or service, the first place they look is the Internet.
- A website is too impersonal. Do you find yourself answering the same questions about your product or service? Do customers ask for your web address? Referring customers to your business website can save you and your customers time and hassle. Also, being online gives you credibility…others are online, why not you?
- I already have a business website. The website you started out with may have worked for you once, but is your business website still working for you? To find out, ask yourself these questions:
- How do I pay to design, host and maintain my business website?
- When did I last update my company website?
- Am I satisfied with my current business website?
- Does my website help my company to give its best?
- How easy is it to make changes?
- How much traffic is my site getting?
- What are my competitors doing online?
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