When done properly, having an online presence is a cost effective way to market your business – it opens up a world of opportunities, which include:
- Creating new sales channels
- Reaching new customers locally, nationally and even internationally
- Increasing company profile and brand awareness
- Competing with much larger companies on an equal footing
- Developing better relationships with customers and partners
- Networking with similar businesses
Dispelling the Myths
For those new to the internet, building an online presence can seem daunting. Here we dispel some of the myths around getting your business online:
1. There’s no point having a website
This is one of the biggest myths when it comes to business and the internet. A website is now an essential sales and marketing tool for all businesses – no matter what your company does or how big it is. Consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to find suppliers, whether locally, nationally or internationally, so without a Web presence you’re missing a growing segment of the market. Whether your site is a simple brochure or transactional (providing the ability to make a sale online), it’s a great way to attract new and retain existing customers.
2. It’s too difficult to set up a website
Setting up a website used to be something that only specialist Web developers could do, but that has changed. If you want to, you can now build a website yourself with little or no technical knowledge. Some Web hosting services offer free site building tools for businesses taking their first steps online. These allow you to easily create an online presence.
3. A website will cost too much – I can’t justify it
Websites don’t have to cost a huge amount of money, if anything at all. There is a range of cost-effective ways to get your business online, with self-build applications and Web space included in some business broadband packages. Another option to consider is to use social networking sites and social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to have a simple online ‘voice’. The use of social media can also provide an additional complementary channel for those companies that already have a website.
4. There are too many different options – it’s impossible to decide
Yes there are a lot of different options when it comes to websites, but where aren’t there in business? Carefully assess your company’s products or services, as well as your customers. That way you should be able to determine the type of Web presence you need – whether a basic online brochure, e-commerce or advanced site. It is also worth looking at what your competitors are doing
5. Managing a website will take too much of my time
Unless you’re a large company, with a huge catalogue of stock items, priced in multiple currencies and displayed in a range of languages, managing your website won’t generally be difficult or time consuming.
The amount of time required will depend on the type of site you have and what you’re using it for. Simple sites, with basic information such as a company overview and product information will need little updating; a more complex e-commerce site will need to be kept updated in order to reflect changes in prices, stock or availability, but there are simple and cost-effective ways to automate this with your other systems.
BT has over 15 years experience in providing internet services to businesses - contact us on 0800 032 3974 for a free web review.
*Kelkoo/Centre for Retail Research Jan 2011
