Should I have a Web Site?

Not all businesses need or should have a web site.  It today’s environment many may think this statement is not true. So let’s examine it a bit.

Let’s start with the goals of a web site: Should it obtain information? Provide information? Make a contact/appointment? Make a sale? Schedule an appointment? Donate? Oh yes, and how do you intend to market a web site, after all it is a product and you need to let prospects know that you have it?

So now let’s understand the prospects: Who are they? Where are they? What are their goals? What are their skills? Can they get to your site and perform the tasks?

See my BLOG piece on e-commerce. It is important to remember that Social Media is not a good method to conduct e-commerce. While it is a viable method of engaging people and having them find your site, a link is needed to a web site for e-commerce.

As you consider a web site look at what your competition is doing. Consider the costs (it is not cheap) and the complexities of using an APP vs. a Mobile web. If you just want to impart information, maybe a BLOG is the answer. For e-commerce a web site is needed.

Remember my statement above about marketing your web site. How will you do this?

Will you use Social Media? QR codes? Word of Mouth? Near-field communications, Mobility Apps, BLOG, Print media? etc.

Do not forget the need to keep your web site current, both in terms of its content and in terms the search engines used to find it.

Here are a few stats that may help as well:

The most trusted form of referral is Word of Mouth. 75% of people trust it.

7 - 8 % of word of mouth occurs Online. 2 - 3 % of this comes from Social Media

A small portion of actual business occurs on line, although this is growing.

While not to be ignored, this all leads to the conclusion that the majority of marketing expenses should generally be spent on things other than web marketing.

What are you doing?

 

Steve Koenig, SCORE Counselor

Visit us at: www.scoresouthflorida.net