3 Reasons Why You Need a Website NOW
By Dr. Kevin Nunley
It baffles my mind how many business owners still don't
have a web presence. I hear from people every week who insist that, "It
ain't broke, so why fix it?" Why go to all the effort of building--or
paying someone else to build--a website when business is going well
already?
For many businesses, what "ain't" broke today is going
to be on the trash heap tomorrow. Here are a few
reasons why it's time to fix it by getting a website, even if it "ain't" broke
yet:
1. The Live Brochure - most businesses have used the
brochure as a marketing format at some point. In the old days, they
provided a great deal of information in one handy booklet. But with
a website, you get a live brochure that is available for anyone to
see anywhere in the world. And there is no limit to the amount of information
you can include.
2. Expand Your Business - Maybe you don't have enough
money to set up a new shop in another town, but you can do better than
that for a tiny fraction of the cost. Set up shop online with an e-commerce
site and you have a business presence anyone in the world can take
advantage of.
3. It's Expected - These days, for a business not to
have a website is akin to using a typewriter to create your business
documents. Your customers and clients expect you to progress with the
times, and if you don't keep up, they'll leave you behind.
Web Site Design Trumps Even Price in Comsumer's
Buying Decisions
(By an Internet Retailer)
Web site design heavily influences consumer purchase
decisions, says a new survey of American consumers conducted for Genex,
an Internet design and development firm, by researchers Synovate eNation.
The Genex/Synovate Customer Experience Survey found that 65% of consumers
will not shop on a poorly designed site, even if it's the site of a
favorite brand.
The survey of 1,100 Internet users also found that 30%
cease offline purchases from a favorite brand if their online experience
is poor. In addition, 30% reported that web site design is more important
than a great product. And only 4% will shop on a poorly designed web
site even to get a rock-bottom price.
"Web site design is not about being pretty or slick --
it`s about the customer experience online and that means, ultimately,
that it`s about sales," says David Glaze, vice president of creative
for Genex. "As our survey shows, there are substantial financial consequences
when a company does not pay enough attention to the usability and information
design of its web site."
The survey also found:
• Web site design matters most to the affluent.
More than 70% of those earning more than $75,000 per year say that
they will not shop on a poorly designed site and may even discontinue
offline purchases from a company with such a web site, compared to
60% of those earning less than $50,000.
• More than 75% of those between 25 and 34 say usability
is a very important or extremely important factor in their online and
offline purchase decisions, compared to 64% of those ages 45-54.
