Is a website a necessity in today’s business climate?

Even today, there are many businesses that feel they don’t need a website. Some use the expression “I just don’t get any business from the Internet” and others say that the website they built 12 years ago doesn’t attract enough customers to justify updating and revamping their current site. Some feel that the Internet just doesn’t have the right feel, “fancy” look, or that the Internet doesn’t attract customers who have money to spend on high-end products. Others say that theirs is a “word of mouth” business and that the network will not make a difference. Finally, many still feel that people simply don’t use the Internet to search for their particular type of business. Despite all these excuses, it’s hard to find one that is relevant and valid in today’s business climate.

So what do you do, as a small business owner? Why take the plunge or upgrade the site you’ve had since the beginning of the 21st century? Well, times have not changed much, only the relevance of the Internet in our daily lives has. In the mid 1900s, many people purchased items through “mail order.” And what is an online retailer if not an update on that old concept? Similarly, “word of mouth” has been replaced by Yelp, Urbanspoon and Amazon reviews. It’s the same idea, just a different way of doing it. Even people who love and own horses usually don’t use them to go to the store. Why would you trust word of mouth when the person in second place was texting their feedback while eating their food—-and reached far more people than the person in first place could reach in 5 years of telling people about your food? On top of that, why write your specials just on a dry erase board, when you can post them on Facebook, your website, or tweet about them and have a hundred people instantly see that your “daily special” is the one have you been waiting for the Internet is a powerful tool that in today’s business climate you need to use.

Why should you have an internet presence? Simple —– provides information to customers and potential customers. Information —- prices —– references —- all this is available on the internet. Some companies care more about one area than another, but all companies are required to provide some information, from phone number, products and services provided, or simply their name and field of expertise. If you don’t have any website, at least try something. There are several free website providers, such as Weebly, Pennysaver USA, and Wix, that provide an easy way to set up a website. Pro, are free and usually have a fairly easy way to design a website using their templates. With, they look like templates, so your website can look exactly like the same business from a block away: your domain uses your name so it won’t rank in searches, and has your name as part of your domain name; and lastly, if you don’t have much design skills or are at least somewhat technically proficient in computers, it can all turn into a frustrating nightmare. Also, many features are not free, so you end up spending almost as much money to upgrade with the “free” companies as if you had paid someone in the first place. The next step is to find a designer who is local, perhaps a talented student or a person who works at home who can design it for you. They will tend to use the best templates like WordPress and can create a nice and functional website for you. They may still have a template look, but chances are there isn’t someone in the same area using the same template. A designer at this level will also walk you through using one of the standard domain providers like GoDaddy or DirectNic so that you have a domain name of mybusiness.com instead of mybusiness.domainprovider.com, so people can see it accurately and it will show up better on major search engines. Many times, it’s worth the investment to let someone else handle these things. After all, you know your business well and delegating authority and projects isn’t one of your responsibilities?

The next step on the ladder is tricky. Many companies feel that they can justify hiring a designer full or part time. However, for a midsize company, that is not necessarily economically feasible. You can find many web design companies that will take care of your projects. You usually have a choice of plans, either on a per-project plan, hourly plans, or maintenance plans. The key to which one is best for you depends on your needs. For a business that only needs a one-time site design, per project may be best. For businesses like restaurants that want to change menu items or sales (any business that needs a “shopping cart,” for example), the best options may be a Content Management System that allows you, the owner of the company, change the website at any time. you need, especially on a daily basis, without going through the site designer. For a larger business that may need regular updates to their websites with information or products, for example every two weeks, many web companies offer various types of monthly, quarterly, and annual maintenance plans. These allow you to request changes and know that the web company will make the updates at a specific time based on your contract agreement. The biggest advantage with a design firm is this —– typically, you will have different people working on your project such as a designer, programmer, graphic designer, and content writer. This allows you to work on multiple areas of your job at the same time, making it easier for the project to arrive on time. The downside: They may have multiple projects they’re working on at the same time, so they may not always be ready for questions about your individual project.

If you’re taking it to the next level and you’re a larger company, you can hire a full-time designer/programmer. Pro—they are only there to work on their projects. Cons: They can excel in one area, like graphics, but be weaker in another, like programming. The other downside is that if there is a slowdown in business or a lack of work, they are still on the payroll. Conversely, if you hire, for example, a combination of IT and web designer, they may have to sacrifice one (usually web design) if there is a major problem with the IT side.

These days, being “fancy” or “stylish” doesn’t exclude people from the internet; on the other hand, just look at the websites for Coco Chanel and Rolls Royce Automotive, major charities like City of Hope and Thalians, even social organizations of all kinds. No business, regardless of size or classification, can afford to be without an Internet presence these days. Whether you want to know the dates of the Santa Barbara Concours d’Elegance or the latest items available at Prada in Beverly Hills, most people first search the Internet for information. With the increasing number of smartphones, tablets and iPads that people have, the question is not “Can I afford to be on the Internet” but “How can I not afford to be on the Internet?”