Building a Successful Small Business Web Site
Many small businesses recognize the value of a web site to their overall sales and marketing strategy. Even for a small business, a web site can be an extremely useful way to reach new customers -- whether they reside on the next street, in the next town, or in another country. And, unlike a traditional listing in the Yellow Pages or a printed advertisement, a web site allows you to show, in text and pictures, what makes your business unique.
If your firm is considering a web site, now may be the opportune time to invest in this marketing channel that can expand your selling opportunities. According to the Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov), about 65% of all small and medium size businesses use the Internet and those that use the Internet are growing at a rate 46% faster than those who do not. They also estimate that by 2003, sales via e-Commerce will expand to $1.3 trillion - representing almost one tenth of all U.S. business trade.
Having a web site can help a small business by:
- Reaching a wide array of potential customers. An increasing number of consumers use the Internet as a research tool while looking for products and services -- in many cases using it as their only research tool. A web site can extend beyond the limitations of traditional marketing methods to reach these potential customers, no matter where they reside.
- Illustrating your business like no other medium. A basic Yellow Page listing tells potential customers no more than your phone number and address. Even a full advertisement, in the phone book or newspaper, can still be limited in how much it can tell your customers about your firm. A web site, on the other hand, provides an interactive means of illustrating to your customers the reasons they should do business with your firm.
- Providing an effective sales channel. e-Commerce can be an effective sales channel for many small businesses. If your firm already takes orders for products and services over the telephone, providing even basic e-commerce capabilities on your web site can increase your firm's sales. Better yet, when nobody is available at your business location, your web site can still take orders ? allowing you to make sales around the clock.
- Potentially creating a competitive advantage. By developing a web site, your firm can gain an advantage over your competitors that do not have one. If you have competitors that already maintain an Internet presence, developing a web site of your own can help keep you on an equal footing with them.
- Measuring its own effectiveness. One of the most powerful aspects of the Internet is that it has a higher degree of results measurability compared to other marketing channels. For instance, although a Yellow Page listing is a requisite component of your marketing strategy, you never know how many people actually see your firm's listing or make a purchase if they do see it. With detailed web traffic reporting, you know exactly how many people are visiting your site and what web pages are viewed the most.
- Evolving based upon your firm's changing needs -- Unlike printed materials, a web site can change over time. Once you run a Yellow Pages ad, it will remain the same for a year and you may never know how effective your ad was. If you want to make an alteration to a brochure, even changing a simple phone number, you need to reprint the entire piece. A web site can easily be altered at any time, allowing you to tailor your marketing message based upon the findings of web traffic reporting and your firm's changing business requirements.
No matter the size of your firm or web site, a well-planned strategy can mean the difference between success or missed objectives. Your strategy should not be needlessly complex, but should identify your goals and how you plan to meet them. Once your strategy has been determined, you should plan your site around meeting your most significant goals. Most importantly, you must always consider the needs of your web site's users, as their experience will ultimately determine whether or not your site is a success.
When developing a web site, a small business should be sure to:
- Focus on the user. Considering the impact to the user should be paramount when determining the page layout, color scheme, site structure, and all other design aspects of your site. In particular, you should structure your navigation around logical categories for the user, which may differ from how your firm structures your product lines, departments or divisions. Your marketing text should focus on how your product or service addresses a user's needs.
- Choose an appropriate page layout. The pages on your web site should be attractive, easy-to-read, and should convey your corporate image. Judicious use of graphics and multimedia should make your site engaging without distracting or overwhelming your visitors. Although "a picture can tell a thousand words," too many pictures or multimedia elements can distract a user's attention and contribute to long download times.
- Proofread your web site. Using a spell checker is a valuable and necessary first step, but be sure to manually proofread your site to identify any mistakes that a spell checker might miss. More importantly, proofread it a second time.
- Display your web site address on all marketing materials. By including your site's URL on all brochures, advertisements, business cards, etc., you advertise your site to people you know are already interested in your company. If they are taking the time to read through a brochure or advertisement, then they are more likely to visit your site to gain more information about your company.
- Register with search engines. Search engines such as Yahoo, Google, AltaVista, Lycos, Excite and others are powerful tools for potential customers to find your site. Register with as many as possible, but think twice about search engines that require you to enter into a "pay-for-click" program in order to get listed. This type of program can be costly and your largest, most well funded competitors will likely show up at the top of the search results.
A web site may be the critical missing component to your firm's sales and marketing strategy. Even if you currently have a web site, it is important to periodically evaluate whether adjustments need to be made to maximize its effectiveness in attracting new business. Maintaining an attractive, informative web presence can have a positive impact for any small business.
About Justin Powell
Justin Powell is a web development and marketing expert based in Verona, NJ, who has over eleven years of experience in marketing of technology-related products. See his homepage at http://homepage.mac.com/justinpowell/. He is a member of the International Webmasters Association (http://www.iwanet.org/) and is skilled in many Internet-related disciplines.
