Why do I need a small business website?

Brochure

Even if your company does not conduct any business online, with so many potential clients now web-enabled, you should treat your website as an online brochure. Even a simple website can provide clients with an overview of your business, your key services / products, and contact details. How many times have you looked up a company to find directions to their offices, for example?

Low Cost

You can set up a simple website for a few hundred pounds, and annual hosting on a shared web server will set you back less than £100. You may need to pay someone to help you with site updates if you have no in-house technical expertise, but the costs really are very low compared to other business expenses.

Global Reach

The very nature of the World Wide Web is that there are no boundaries. In many cases, small businesses may have a local customer base, but others (particularly those who're selling products online) will instantly gain a global audience for their wares.

Easy to Update

Rather than re-printing thousands of product brochures, or company guides, you can update your company information in minutes via a website, saving a lot of time and money. If you use a CMS (Content Management System), you don’t need to have any technical knowledge in order to update your website, and write new content.

Test New Products & Services

A website is the perfect place to test new ideas. You might want to test different product descriptions to see which perform best in your online store, or try different pricing structures for the services you provide. You can make changes to your site instantly – keep what works well, and change things which don’t – rapidly, and with minimal cost.

Online 24/7

Your small business website will be available 24/7, 365 days a year. A potential client can find out more about your company, or simply find out a contact email address at any time of day. If you are selling online, customers can be placing orders while you're asleep!

Sell Online

Probably the main beneficiaries of the web are companies who sell products - particularly those which can be easily shipped. There are massive financial and time benefits to be had from selling online. You can outsource your entire transaction process for pennies (to companies such as Paypal and Worldpay), or seamlessly integrate your "sales window" with global giants such as eBay. You can set up your own online shop for a few hundred pounds.

Save Money

Moving your business (or just a part of it) online will save you money. The savings can be as small as the difference between corresponding with clients via email, compared to the cost of a landline call. If you spend time on web marketing, you can also gain new customers via search engines (such as Google and Yahoo!) – at minimal cost.