How thorough are your promotion efforts?
A web site is a useful promotional tool for any business.  All businesses should consider at least a minimal web site that provides contact information.  A growing number of people use the Internet to search for information about local businesses.  If you have a phone book ad, you should also have a web site.

If you use a more aggressive approach, including newspaper, radio, or television advertising, you should add a web presence to your repertoire of promotion tools.  Why have a web site? provides more information about how you can use your web site to promote your business.

Where can you automate?
You're probably already well aware, and take advantage of, the benefits of automation (computerization) of your business processes. What the Internet offers you is the advantage of applying the benefits of automation to customer communication.

Idea
Maintaining a public-accessible, searchable list of your inventory would be an innovative approach, not currently done by many businesses. It would allow your customers to check whether you have an item they are looking for, and they can do so at their convenience, any time of day or night. Unlike a phone call asking "Do you have...?" in which they receive a simple yes/no answer, when they access the list, the customer may notice additional items of interest.  You could also use the list to promote sale items.  Many potential customers may appreciate this convenience, and it might provide an advantage over competitors who don't offer such a service.

Customer communication consists of providing information to your customers or receiving information from them, and both cases can benefit from automation.  You don't want to automate all of your customer interaction, but simply provide your customers with an additional option that they may find beneficial.

Automating customer communication can benefit both you and your customers. The benefit to you (in addition to the competitive edge it may give you because of the benefit to your customers) is that it can reduce your costs. A customer preferences survey, for example, can be conducted via your web site much cheaper than a mass mailing. And large amounts of information can be offered to your customers very inexpensively, such as the example of the inventory list, described above. The benefit to your customers is convenience. They can access your web site and receive the answers they want at any time.

Web site possibilities exist that are not feasible by any other means. Listing your inventory is one such example. What about an automated appointment request system, or a "self-serve" reservation system?  We encourage you to identify all the ways that you interact with your customers, and consider the potential benefits of providing an automated means for that interaction. This is an area where you have an opportunity for innovation, at low cost and low risk. Our recommendation is not that you eliminate your existing methods of communicating with your customers, but rather that you provide your customers with a choice.

If you aren't sure how your customer interaction could be automated, or what benefits it would provide, please contact us at no obligation. We have many years of experience in the development of automated systems, and we'd like the chance to "brainstorm" with you!

What about mail-order service?
Because of the numerous advantages, if you provide mail-order services, you should have a web site with an on-line catalog and order-processing system in addition to your current system.  That's provided, of course, that you commit fully to the new process and ensure that your on-line customers receive the same high standards of service as your "traditional" customers.

If, as is likely, your mail-order system already utilizes a computerized process, the addition of web-based ordering to your current process will probably not be prohibitively costly or difficult. If we create an order-processing system for you, we will, if desired, advise you on how to successfully implement it.

Web-based order processing provides so many benefits that once you have implemented such a system, you will probably wish you could serve all your mail-order customers with it!

What about other types of order processing?
If you already do some type of order processing, even if you don't mail your product to your customers, you too may be able to benefit from implementing a web-based order system. For example, a business that provides classes or seminars could offer on-line registration and payment.

Why rely on a corporate web site alone?
If your business is a franchise, your corporate headquarters probably already have a web site. You'll still benefit from having your own site too (you'll probably want to include a link to the corporate site), so that you can provide information specific to your location. Having your own site, even if a corporate site exists, can provide you with all of the potential benefits described on this page and in Why have a web site?

Who are your customers?
Currently, the heaviest users of the Internet are predominately young and urban. If most of your customers are older or rural, you may not initially realize as much benefit from having a web site. However, Internet use is growing phenomenally. Its use is being actively promoted to older users, and better network performance is rapidly expanding further into rural areas. Because the cost of a web site is low, you may wish to consider having one even if you don't think most of your customers are Internet users. You may find that you've done so before your competitors, which might prove to be advantageous as Internet use among your customers grows.

But is it right for your business?
As you might expect, we feel that every business should have a web site, and we believe that very soon, nearly every business will!  That's because of the real benefits provided by having a web presence.

Many business owners have delayed establishing a web site because they are unfamiliar with the Internet and aren't sure how to proceed. If you fall into that category, please contact us and let us answer all your questions, in easy to understand terms, under absolutely no obligation.