Only you can make the decision if your business would benefit from a web site. The Internet has really leveled the playing field for small businesses. It is possible to complete against and even look like the big boys if you want to. If you are comfortable with where your business is and have no desire to grow your business further or add new communication lines, then the answer is probably no. However, when making this decision, please consider that a web site works best as a communications tool, not an advertisement.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, then in today's age, you should consider a web site:
Are you a small business with no street frontage ?
Do you want your business to look professional and up-to-date ?
Do you want to set yourself apart from your competition ?
Do you want your business to look knowledgeable ?
Do you want to provide an easy and central source for customers to access information ?
I don't sell merchandise online. Why do I need a web site?
For business today, the Internet is used more for researching information about businesses, services and products rather than buying things. A business web site is not just about selling goods online, but a communications tool to communicate with new and existing customers. For other business reasons you you might like to consider getting a web site, continuing reading these FAQs.
Basically, if you believe in the quality of services or products you offer and you want to tell the world about them, then a web site can help you achieve this.
Why should I care about how my web site looks?
Its all about impressions. You would not eat at a grubby looking restaurant or stay in a dirty looking motel would you? So why would new customers to a shabby looking web site want to spend their money with that business?
I suggest that you write down any questions you have, and do some preliminary research yourself. I guarantee you'll have even more unanswered questions after you dig a little deeper. Start by reading these FAQs and other articles on my web site.
If you're not familiar with the Internet or web sites and development, I understand that it may all seem a little complicated and overwhelming at the start. But that's where I come it. I take care of all that 'stuff' for you, leaving you free to focus on your business and what you do best.
If you have questions, want to explore some possibilities or get a free quote, please give me a call and I'll try to help you over the phone or arrange a meeting with you if that's convenient.
SMART-itc,
Gary Smart,
Phone: 0438 894 575
I've heard that having no web site is better than a bad web site? Is that true?
Yes that is true. These days if you have a web site and you're advertising the fact, then some people are going to visit your web site to get more information about your business, its products and services. If your web site looks bad or has out-of-date information on it, what impression do you think potential customer will have of you? I know you operate a great business and offer excellent service, but don't let a bad web site stop new customers from making that initial personal contact and discovering this for themselves.
Try this. Pick out a business type (maybe your own industry) and do a Google search for businesses in your area (maybe your competitors). See what you find. I bet you find a few shabby web sites that make those businesses look shabby (hopefully they're your competitors :)
I already have a web page. Isn't that already enough?
I don't use a computer much and I'm not all that comfortable with them. How could I handle a web site and keeping it maintained?
Have you ever advertised in a newspaper? I bet you don't own the newspaper or work in the newspaper's editing room to keep it 'maintained' or the press to get it printed. And you don't have to do anything with a web site either. A professional web designer like myself will take care of everything for you. All you need to focus on your business and leave the Internet and the technology to me.
We believe in face-to-face customer interaction. That's how we've built our business. A web site seems cold and would be a waste of time considering our clientele.
This could be true of your existing clientele. What what about new clientele? Have you ever considered that in some cases face-to-face might be a waste of time and a nuisance to your customers?
Here is an example... I recently built a web site for a client who was all about face-to-face communication. Each month their customers are meant to phone in certain information to this business. Every month hours of staff time would be tied up answering the phone to take this information (and input it into the computer), placing customer's on-hold and chasing up clients that had not phoned in. Believing there must be a better way, we web site was built. Now each month clients get a reminder email and submit the information over the Internet. If a client forgets, a reminder email is automatically sent to them. At the end of the month a report is generated with all the information the clients have provided. Creating a web page has been a win-win situation. The business wins because it frees up staff time and manual processing of data, and client feedback suggests that they win because they can copy and paste information from their computer into the web site, saving them time because they do not have to wait on hold and repeat all the information back to another person.
If you think the Internet or a web site will not benefit your business, then try thinking out side the square. It is ripe with opportunities to assist your clients, save you and them time and enhance other aspects of the services you offer.
I wouldn't know what to do with a web site if I had one.
This is a common question I get from potential customers. To answer this question, you have to do a few things. Firstly, you might have to think outside-the-square to discover what possibilities the Internet could do for your business. Secondly, if you need help doing this, speak to an expert - IT expert, web developer, even your kids (I bet they know a lot about the Internet!).
Further to this, stop thinking about what you can do with a web site, and consider what other people - potential customers - might be doing. There are two common reasons why people might use the Internet for business. (1) To find out what businesses offer a particular product or service, and (2) To find out more about a specific business... Make it easy for your potential customers to discover who you are.
It will only a matter of time before someone discovers a better to carry out your type of business with the Internet, hopefully it will be you and not your competition.
You might like to take a look at my article Web Site Success Factors. It includes some pointers on what to do with your web site to help make it successful.
My business is very small, just me and a few employees and our product can't really be sold online. Why would I want a web site?
Are you a small business with no street frontage ?
Do you want your business to look professional and up-to-date ?
Do you want to set yourself apart from your competition ?
Do you want your business to look knowledgeable ?
Do you want to provide an easy and central source for customers to access information ?
Visit one of my clients at www.damaco.com.au. How big do you think they are and what market do you think they cover? (Answer - 1 person in Hamilton, Victoria. And he sells Australia wide and has distribution rights for New Zealand)
How about smarttours.com.au ? (answer - 2 people, sourcing passengers from around Australia, and they have over 500 eMail subscribers from around the world!)
My business is helping small businesses leverage the possibilities of the Internet. Please join me for the ride and let me help you.
What can I put on my web site? Can you give me some ideas?
The possibilities are endless and will be different for different businesses. As a starting point, you might consider the following information -
Who you are and what your business does
Where you are located and how to contact you
Special offers and promotions you are running
Business news or a newsletter
Display customer testimonials and success stories
Press releases and information about your business
In all cases, before I start designing a web site for a client, I will discuss with them their business and what it does and how they could leverage a web site to enhance their business and the services they offer.
Can I manage or update my web site myself?
Yes, and no. It depends on what you want to do and how skilled you or a staff member is with the Internet and the technologies what make the WWW work. In general it is a bad idea, because it will be impossible to get a professional finish and cross-browser compliance if you are not experience in web design.
However.... because I get this question so much, I have developed a hybrid solution to give my customers the best of both worlds - a professional looking web site, with an easy DIY facility to update parts of their web site themselves. Try the demo for yourself.
What is a 'host' and do I need one?
A Host is a company that makes your web site available to the world, and yes, you do need one. And yes there is a cost involved. Professional web developers, including myself, will take care of hosting for you.
To help explain a host in another way, think of your web site as a mobile phone, and the host as a communications carries, like Telstra. You can buy a mobile phone anywhere these days, but without a communications carrier, your mobile is useless.
Can I be my own host?
Yes, but do you want to bother? You don't try to be another Telstra so your phones work do you? Some business try to explore this as a way to save money. However, if you really want to be self hosting you need to invest in computing resources and infrastructure ($1000's). You also need to have the in-house computer/networking skills or hire them ($75-$100 hr) to set things up and keep things running smoothly. Unless you already have the need, equipment and facilities at your business, you'll spend thousands trying to save a few hundred.
... On the other hand, if you are planning or growing a web site that will become an integral part of your business operations, then the answer might be "yes". You should look at the benefits self-hosting can offer if your web site will be the key or only source of income (eg a web-only supplier), or it needs to integrate to other in-house or external systems and databases.
Can you build us a web site to sell products all over the world?
Yes. Actually the instant your web site it put on the Internet, it can be accessed from anywhere in the world! Now, I'm glad your thinking big!. Many more business would make a real success of their web site if they did this. But I recommend that you focus on your region/state or Australia for starters to help keep things simple until you get going. That way you won't have to worry about multiple currencies and exchange rates, tax issues, import/export restrictions or legal implications, not to mention all the technology and web site development needed to handle it all.
How should I choose a domain name?
If you are asking this question, perhaps don't pick out and purchase a domain name yourself - seek advice. A good domain name is simple to remember, simple to spell and easy to read at a glance. If you have a long business name, don't try to use it as your domain name. Consider the following. Which is easier to read at a glance? www.smarttoursandtravel.com.au or www.smarttours.com.au.
If you use your business name and it leads itself to incorrect spelling, consider registering the incorrect spellings also. That way if someone does make a spelling mistake, they'll still be able to find you. For example, consider Google. www.gogle.com (one 'o') still takes you to www.google.com (two 'o's - the correct spelling) as does www.gooogle.com (three 'o's).
Also, remember that different domains have different rules. To register an Australian domain (any thing ending in .au), you must have a legal right to own that domain. So for example, you must have that name or something similar registered as a business name, trade mark or similar. If you're business was called 'Joe's Fish 'n Chips', you could try and register 'joes-chippery.com.au' or 'fishnchips.com.au', but would get knocked back if you tried to register 'Warner4x4Tyres.com.au', because it seems to have no relevance to your business.
Because there are many rules and conditions, its best to have a few possible domain names up you sleeve, just in case you can't get your first choice. Its also worth mentioning, that you never actually 'own' a domain name, you rent it. But as long as you keep paying the renewal fees (usually yearly or bi-yearly), it will always remain yours.
What are the cost involved?
This is a hard question to answer, because it depends what you want to achieve with your web site. To break it down, web site development costs are made up of three major components:
Getting your web site created
This is generally the biggest cost. This is where a web developer sits down and designs your web site, makes it look 'pretty' and puts information about your business on it. If you consider building a web site like building a house, this step is like getting your plans drawn, contracting the builder and getting the house built.
Hosting and other on-going fees
After (and sometimes even before) your web site is created, where are other fees that are on-going. Typically these include the registration of a domain name (that is your www address, like www.splatpages.com), hosting fees (a host is the company that keeps your web site files and makes them available to the world via the Internet). There will be other ongoing fees if your web site requires security or eCommerce facilities. In some cases you have to pay these on-going fees even if you just let your web site 'site there' on the Internet. Continuing with the house analogy, think of these ongoing fees like telephone rental and council rates - you pay them irrespective of how much you're home or how often you use the phone.
Web Site Maintenance Fees
These fees are payable to your web designer whenever you need you web site updated (unless you have a DIY solution). If you never get your web page updated (bad idea!) then you will not incur these charges. Using the house example again, web site maintenance is a bit like getting your house renovated. You choose when and how to do it and only incur the costs (materials, labour, etc) when you decide you want the job done.
Other Charges
I know I said there were only three. But there are other areas where costs will be incurred if you have an advanced Internet presence. These can include costs related to email services, eCommerce, credit card processing facilities or paid Internet advertising and placements.
Our upcoming advertising budget has consumed all money budgeted for advertising.
Please remember that a web site is not an advertisement. It is a communications tool. However, as a communications tool it will be a valuable asset when combined thoughtfully with your advertising - it will compliment and empower your advertising efforts. In fact, I believe this to be one of the most powerful uses of a web site, especially if you spend a lot of money on print-media, television or radio advertising.
I've heard getting a web site is very expensive. It is?
Is a web site expensive? The answer is: it depends. A simple web site will cost a few hundreds dollars, while a full featured eCommerce web site with multi currency support will run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
The truth is, that many people consider web sites expensive. I believe this perception exists simply because people don't spend the time to understand what they are pricing and consider the cost in respect to what business benefits a professionally developed web site can offer.
Here is something to consider: A web site is expensive compared to what? In terms of cost, getting a web site created is really not that different to having processional print publications or flyers created. Furthermore, getting routine updates done to your web site is comparable - and often cheaper - than placing an ad in your newspaper.
Like anything, you can spend as little or as much as you like. And while you will find 'cheap' web site developers lurking around, please ask yourself what you are paying for, because again, like anything, you usually get what you pay for.
I have a friend/son/daughter/cousin who has done a crash course in web design and I've promised them they can do our web site.
Are they a qualified web developer? If they are you are lucky. If not, and you are serious about making a good impression with your web site then maybe you should consider your options again. Professional web sites look that way for a reason - a professional created them.
My Question is not here
If you have a question that is not here, please contact me (Gary) on 0438 894 575 or send
me your question via my web site www.smart-itc.com.au/contact.php and I will answer your question
promptly.
