Does Every Business Need A Web Site?

Many a small business owner has asked me, "Do I really need a web site?"  Well, that's like asking, "Does my business need a phone number?".

So, yes.  Absolutely.  Your business does need a web presence.

From everything you see and read, sometimes it seems like all of marketing is going to the Internet.  While customers are turning to the world wide web more often to search for products and services, Internet marketing, including social media and email, is becoming a necessity.  However, it is just one marketing tool among the hundreds available to the savvy small business marketer.  And, like all the others, it's how you use it that counts.

Chances are very good that your potential client is going to be active online.  But where are they looking?  And how do you want to show up for them? Here is a good analysis of popular social media hot spots.  Imagine you are having a conversation with a prospective client. 

     On Twitter:        You would be at your local watering hole.
     On Facebook:   You would be chatting in your own living room.
     On Linked In:    You would be meeting in your place of business.

So where do you want your online content to land?  And how do you position it there?

What is the purpose of social media or email marketing campaigns in your business?  Lead generation?  Bringing more traffic to your web site?  Brand recognition?  Customer retention?

Since one of the most powerful uses of  social media is to point prospective buyers to your web site, then I guess it's very necessary to have the site in the first place.  It's like spending thousands of dollars on beautiful company brochures, then never taking them out of the box.

Remember, the best marketing plan utilizes the lowest cost, most effective tools available that bring your company the highest quantifiable results.  In business, quantifiable results mean only one thing- profit!