Many small businesses are way behind when it comes to using the Internet to generate new opportunities.
If you operate a small businesses that doesn’t have a Website and that fact alone doesn’t persuade you to develop an online presence for your business, here are a few more things to consider:
- 7.2% of the estimated $1,1771.5 billion in US retail sales transactions occurred online in the second quarter, up from 7.0 percent in the first quarter of 2015 and 6.3 percent a year ago. (source: Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce)
- In 2015, U.S. mobile commerce sales will total $104.05 billion, up 38.7% from $75.03 billion in 2014, reveals data from the (source: 2016 Mobile 500)
- Mobile digital media time in the US is now significantly higher at 51% compared to desktop (42%). (source: KPCB Mobile Technology Trends)
- 50% of consumers who performed a local search on their smartphone visited a store within 24 hours (source: Google)
People use the Internet like they used to use the phone book.
“Once upon a time” it didn’t matter if small business owners had a Website if most of their business was local. But now almost everyone uses the Internet to get information – even local information. Potential customers are using their Smartphones and tablets to decide where to go and what to buy. So be there or beware; people who are searching will find other local businesses rather than yours.
A business Website gives your business legitimacy.
People expect businesses to have their own Websites, just as they used to expect businesses to have a real physical business address.
Not having a business Website raises questions in the consumer’s eyes.
Are you a technological novice? A stick-in-the-mud? Or such a shoestring startup that you can’t even afford to do this? All things you don’t want people thinking about your business!
A business Website gives you another marketing channel.
Having a business Website gives you an automatic Internet presence.
Think of it as a billboard on the Internet. Instantly you have another chance to introduce people to your products and services, and another way for people to find you. (Of course, how many eyes your billboard attracts will depend on your conscious marketing efforts to get people’s attention, such as search engine optimization, blogging, using social media, and online advertising.)
A business Website gives you another opportunity for lead generation/data collection.
For instance, getting people to write their email addresses on pieces of paper and handing them in at a physical storefront is hard. But getting people to type their email address into a box on a Website is much, much easier – especially if they perceive that they’re getting something for it, such as a coupon, newsletter, a special report or an ebook. And once you have the email address, you have another way to reach your potential customer.
Ecommerce spending is increasing every year.
ComScore reported that in 2012, U.S. ecommerce spending was $226 billion in 2012 and Forrester Research Inc. predicts that online shoppers will spend $327 billion in 2016.
Webrooming can lead customers into your store.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, investing in building an online presence such as an ecommerce Website can increase your offline store’s profits thanks to the growing popularity of Webrooming, where customers research items online before purchasing them in-store.
In a survey conducted by Accenture in September 2013, this trend is growing.
What’s Your Reason for Not Being Online?
A small business owner told me that she didn’t have a Website because she wasn’t looking for any more business and as busy as she wants to be for “the foreseeable future.” Ummm.
If you actually want more business, a business Website is now like the business card – a must-have for any business – and don’t think you need to offer ecommerce to have one. A Website that serves as a digital business card, providing searchers with information about your business and what you can do for them is still worthwhile.