Why do you need a web site?

Many business owners think, "Well, everyone has one, and if I'm going to reach all the potential customers I can, I need to be online. That's just how business is done these days." Beyond that, however, they often don't consider the deeper needs behind having a website.

Yes, it is vital that a thriving business go online. But why do you need a site? There's more to it, than keeping competitive. The web is how prospects can find you. The web is how you communicate with the world outside your store. A well-designed website can do for you things that real-life can't. Like reaching people in distant locations with valuable information about your company and what you offer them. Like reaching busy people "in the off-hours" when they have time to surf the web and are looking for the kind of products and services you offer. Like attracting customers who would never otherwise think to visit your store or order your services. Like converting prospects to clients through establishing yourself and your company as experts in your field.

Clearly, there's more to having a website, than keeping up with the times. As a practical, necessary matter, no business can do without a website, today.

Before you begin to build your site, you should define very clearly where you want to go with it, what objectives you want to accomplish, how you want to present yourself. Is your site for basic information about your business? Is it for showcasing your portfolio or your products? Do you want your site to be the first place you let your customers know what's new and developing? Think about what you want people to experience, when they come to your website -- What do you want them to know? What do you want them to do? What do you want them to take away with them, when they leave? What will keep them coming back -- both to your site, and to your store (if you've got a physical location).

You should also know what kind of people you're trying to reach -- are you approaching highly technical individuals with a high level of proficiency online? Or are you reaching everyday folks who go online now and then, but don't "live there?" Are you reaching folks who shop regularly online and have certain expectations for how your site should look and respond to them, based on their other experiences with well-known sites which have been in existence for many years? Do you need a simple navigation scheme, with a handful of links, or can you have a more complex information architecture which offers not only facts and figures, but online ordering, as well?

Building a website is like building a business from the ground-up. You need to understand where you want to go, and plan accordingly. A seasoned professional can help, but there's also a lot of useful information online which can point you in the right direction. If you're not sure what you want to accomplish, and you're not confident with designing a site, then it would be better if you hired someone who can. And make sure you establish a relationship with them, which can help get the job done -- stay on good terms with them, so that when it comes time to make necessary changes to your site (and that always happens), you can be assured that you won't fall between the cracks.

If you know you want to update your site regularly, but you don't want to pay for the service each time text needs to change, ask about having a content management system added to your site. There are good ones available, which are easy to use and simple to set up. Sitebasics.net offers our CMX content management system, but it may not be for everyone. Still, whatever route you take, choose a system which will allow you to do what you need to do -- keep your site fresh.

One final note: Although they aren't always the most visible "players" in your website, choosing the right hosting service can make a big difference in the quality and reliability fo your site. Look for a service which offers you want you want and need -- most companies have different features. Some offer superior customer service, while others offer very little in the way of customer service, but have very reliable systems and good tools for "do it yourselfers." Still others offer a full suite of features, from multiple e-mail accounts to shopping carts to logging stats. Decide what you want -- reliability? speed? lots of bells and whistles? low price? -- and choose accordingly. Again, there's a lot of information online about different options. You just have to look around and see what's there.

Speaking of web hosts who offer great service, . We've hosted with them for quite some time, and their customer support has been superlative. In fact, it's one of the points they pride themselves on. At times, we've approached them with ideas for how to improve, and they've not only listened, but acted on it, as well. They're constantly improving their offerings, and they offer hundreds of dollars of free software when you join. Thinkhost Rocks!

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