It's the Age of the Internet and the Age of Color in Advertising. That Means That You Need the Most Important Advertising Tool Available--A Web Site.
By Jeanie Swisher
Who needs a web site? If you own a small business, YOU need a web site.
The advertising market is changing rapidly. Today everything is in color. Who wants to look at your black and white ad in the telephone book? Everyone wants to see your products in color and that's what a web site is all about. It's in 256-bit living color!
PERSONAL STORY
Aunt Dee's Philadelphia Pound Cake is a part-time business. The wonderfully delicious pound cakes are individually made with lots of real butter and sugar and are made with a time-treasured recipe.
Just imagine Aunt Dee with a dab of flour on her nose mixing the ingredients in a large stainless bowl. Then see Aunt Dee watching the clock and then taking the prized golden brown pound cakes out of the oven. Next you see thick slices of delicious buttery pound cake with large scoops of vanilla ice cream being served at a special family dinner. Get the picture? I thought you would.
You can't get the picture in the Yellow Pages or on a business card. But you CAN get the picture on a web site.
ADVERTISING IS CRUCIAL
Advertising is crucial to every small business owner. Advertising dollars are next to impossible to track. But everyone knows the importance of a brochure, business card, letterhead, and a Yellow Pages ad. By simply adding your Web site address (url) to all of these tools, you will give your prospects a way "to see" your products in living color twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
Do you deny the attractiveness of a red dress, a colorful silk tie with a business suit, or the red cherry on an ice cream sundae? We all scream for color TV and fast-moving color graphics in our video games. We are all "visually" motivated. Why not give your customer something to look at on the Internet?
If your business is small, no need to worry about going global. Right on your web site, you can display your business hours, the territory that you serve and the special services and products that you sell. It would be a nightmare if 3,000 orders arrived overnight from the global marketplace--not everyone wants a billion-dollar company. So it's as simple as putting the relevant information onto your web site if you serve the local community. You can control your business with a web site.
AFFORDABLE SITES
Web sites can be costly. The average commercial site ranges between two to five thousand dollars. Whew! If you have a small business those prices are out of sight. But, there are alternative ways to get a web site that is within your budget. For no more than the cost of a two-inch Yellow Pages ad each month, you can have a web site if you do some shopping.
WHAT HAPPENED TO AUNT DEE?
So what happened to Aunt Dee's business since she bought a web site? Her business continues as a part-time endeavor to get her son through college, pay off some bills, and put away a few dollars for a rainy day. Plus, she loves to bake. She controls her business even more with the web site. Customers can take a look at her products on the Internet and place their orders by email. Aunt Dee is already getting specialty orders for the coming holidays. But, she knows how much pound cake she can bake and she is able to say "No" when she reaches her limit. She's in control.
MARK MY WORD
My advice is to shop around for the best deal on a web site. There is a great deal of price gouging going on for the unsuspecting buyer. Read everything that you can about web sites. Ask questions until you get the answers you need to make an informed decision about a web site for your business. You can purchase a web site for little more than a dollar day--no more than the monthly charge for a Yellow Pages ad.
Also look for a company with a staff who will answer your questions and work with you to get the site you want. Do keep in mind that when changes are necessary, design companies do charge a fee for additions and corrections. And there's a monthly maintenance fee to keep your web site plugged in. But the base site can stay intact for as long as you choose to keep it on the Internet.
Mark my word--today, one out of ten businesses has a web site. Just look in the Yellow Pages. But in the next few years that number is going to change to nine out of ten businesses with web sites.
How much longer can you afford to wait?
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Jeanie Swisher SPECTRUM PUBLISHERS 35 South High Street #1199 West Chester, PA 19382 USA
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