|
1) Provide critical customer support
In today’s economy it is important to provide the best customer support available.
You need to answer questions and provide assistance on products/services as
well as a means of being contacted. A website can do this 24/7 without your
having to answer a phone or hire additional staff.
2) Be open around the clock
Though this may sound overwhelming, it’s actually not hard at all. With both
e-mail and contact forms, people can leave a message when it’s convenient and
you can respond when it’s convenient---though responding quickly is always the
best policy. With a website, potential customers can find out about your
products and services at any time of the day or night. And with your web address
on your answering machine and company vehicles, you get great advertising while
still providing a place for customers to visit. Furthermore, some people are hesitant
to use the telephone for fear of having to put up with a high-pressure
salesperson. But with a website, they can feel at ease and comfortable while
inquiring about your products or services.
3) Find out what your customers are thinking
Add a short survey to your website to discover what your customers want and
need.
4) Update products and services easily and at low cost
For those familiar with catalogs, brochures, etc., you know how difficult and costly
they can be to produce and change. If you want to add an item, change a phone
number, or make other changes, it can be difficult to do. And even worse, as
in the case of the phone company, you may have to wait a year to do so.
However, with the internet, you can advertise sales, make changes, or do almost
anything else quickly and cheaply.
5) Keep your customers informed
Your Website has all the necessary information your clients or prospective
customers will need. Keep people informed why they should do business with your
company.
6) Provide discounts
People like to see sales and discounts. Maybe you have a new product that you
want to advertise or some old inventory to get rid of. Reaching customers by phone
or sending a letter takes time and is costly. But with the Internet you can
send out an emails to your customers with ease. Light up your website with
these specials and make customers want to come back.
7) Reach a large geographic area
Though most businesses only want to reach customers within maybe a 15 mile
radius, the internet also provides the opportunity to reach much further. Millions
of potential customers use the internet everyday to find the products they
need. And many of those come from out of state or out of the country. Of
course you can limit them to your local area, but it’s nice to have the larger
area available. Using the internet, many “brick and mortar” companies are
venturing into national sales. If you can ship a product, the whole world can
become your customer. Compare that low cost to advertising in various phone
books or newspapers around the country and you can easily see the value of the
internet. And remember, you website is always available. Customers don’t have
to wait until they get the local paper of look into the local phone book’s
Yellow Pages. You can even translate your website into a different language if
that appears profitable.
8) Save money
Postage and long-distance calls are costly while email allows a means of
communicating with your customers, suppliers, partners, etc., and is extremely
inexpensive.
9) Become better known
People today expect businesses to
be on the Internet. Often, that is the only place they look for a business.
Without a website, you are at a disadvantage to those who do have one. You
cannot afford to be left behind by your competitors. Even if you don’t sell
products, a website still provides needed information for a visitor such as
phone number, address, etc.
10) Maintain a customer list
It is a great idea to maintain
a listing of past customers and this can be done through a website.
And finally, just think of this situation…
Let’s say you have a landscaping business in the East Bay. One of your
potential customers works in San Francisco but lives in the East Bay. During
his lunch break he decides to look up your company. He goes to the Yellow Pages
and can’t find you because he only finds landscapers for the San Francisco
area. Then he goes to the internet and easily finds your competitor’s website
and sets up an appointment online without even picking up the phone. Just one
benefit of having a website…
|