BRING YOUR OFF - LINE BUSINESS ONLINE
If you own a business with a physical storefront, an offi ce where you
meet clients or treat patients, or a gallery where you hang paintings,
you are doing business in the off - line world. In online - world jargon, you
have a bricks - and - mortar business. Do you also have an Internet presence?
If not, it ’ s time you move to the next level: bricks and clicks .
There are compelling reasons to create an Internet presence for your
business, or more fully develop your existing site. The fi rst, very basic
reason is visibility. Sixty - four percent of U.S. households now have
Internet access, and 31 percent of those who do not pay for Internet service
at home have access at work. As Internet profi ciency increases,
fewer of your potential customers are reaching for their local yellow
pages. Instead, they go online and use a search engine. Even if they are
simply ordering a pizza, more and more hungry shoppers are turning to
Google rather than a paper directory. We are not suggesting you discontinue
your yellow pages listing, of course. Good marketing requires
reaching out to customers through multiple channels. One distinct
advantage of a web site over a paper ad, however, is your ability to make
real- time, day- to- day changes in the content of your site.
Second, more and more of your potential customers are doing
research online. For example, someone in the market for a tent used to
trek all over town to sporting goods stores, comparing brands, features,
and prices. Now, that same customer is more likely to fi nd the
information he needs online. Eighty - eight percent of people who
sometimes shop online do product research on the Internet.
Third, your customers and your potential customers are defi nitely
buying online. Studies show that 85 percent of adults with Internet
access have made purchases online. Among households with an annual
income above $ 75,000, that number jumps to a whopping 97 percent.
ComScore Networks, a global Internet information provider, estimates
$ 100 billion was spent online in 2006, exclusive of travel - related
purchases.
Some forecasters believe the economy is poised on the cutting
edge of a trend, in some market niches, completely away from brick -
and - mortar businesses. Some businesses have already moved entirely to
the Internet, while others have gone out of business perhaps to some
degree as a result of online competition. It is too soon to know how
business will change as we move forward in the Internet age. Clearly,
however, the savvy business owner will get ahead of the curve.
In a nationwide survey of 53 small - business owners, whose annual
sales ranged from less than $ 250,000 to over $ 5,000,000, 57 percent
reported they have web sites. The survey revealed that a high percentage
of this 57 percent believe their Internet site has improved the economic
health of their business. Among the benefi ts they cited were
greater resilience during economic downturns and a signifi cant increase
in the number of sales leads.
Of course, web sites operated by real - world businesses are not all
the same. They run the gamut from one - page sites that are not much more than business cards, to fully performing commercial sites. Let ’ s
examine what may be right for your business.
If you are going to invest the money to build a web site and budget
a monthly payment to have it hosted on a server, the very least you
need is a site that functions as an attractive and informational brochure
for your business. Like a paper brochure, your web site should describe
your business and explain what products and services you provide. It
must include your telephone number and fax number, your e - mail
address (provided you are available to respond to inquiries), the
location(s) of your business, and directions to get there.
Visitors to your web site might also enjoy learning about the history
of your company, as well as your values and principles. If you
have won awards or achieved particular distinction in your fi eld, by all
means include that. For example, if your restaurant was voted as serving
“ Best Greek Food ” in your city, you will want to display that honor
in a prominent place on the site. Also include any certifi cations or
licenses held by the business or the business owners. Advertising specials
and coupons are a good way to entice customers to choose your
business over others.
Although more and more customers are buying online, only about
5 percent of online activity is related to making purchases. Most Internet
activity is centered on a search for information. The smart business
owner focuses on creating a relationship with visitors to his or her site,
and building trust. A great way to do that is by providing valuable
information.
For example, if you own a restaurant, you can provide articles
about the history of a specifi c cuisine, and interesting tidbits and photographs
about the part of the world where your cuisine originated.
You might offer recipes. Customers enjoy visiting restaurants with a
history, and seeing the old photographs they display on the wall. If
your restaurant, or the building you occupy, or the part of town where
you are located, is historic, put those photos on your web site.
If you sell shoes, tell people how to select the best footwear for
them. Provide articles about foot health. Or, if your focus is high
fashion, offer articles about the latest trends and styles. If you sell
sports shoes, include sports articles. If you are a dentist, provide tips
on how to maintain healthy gums. Make it fun and interesting to visit
your site. Imbue your web site with the culture of your business. If your
culture is warm, welcoming, and personal, make sure your web site
refl ects that. If your culture is focused on performance and effi ciency,
emphasize those values on your site.
The big move, of course, will happen when you take your business
to a full commercial web site — when you begin to sell online. Many
businesses are natural candidates for online sales. You may already sell
products in your bricks - and - mortar establishment that customers are
eager to buy online. Even if your products do not seem like a fi t for
Internet commerce, keep an open mind. Many restaurants are selling
their own lines of packaged food products, such as signature sauces.
Movie theaters can sell tickets online, or movie posters. Hair salons
can sell hair - styling products. Opticians can sell e - books on eye health.
Consultants can sell their services, as we do.
One of the things that, for many businesses, stands in the way of
creating an Internet presence is a sense of overwhelm. There is so
much to learn, and business owners tend to be the kind of people who
want to do it right and avoid mistakes. Consequently, they are slow
to act. Business owners may want to go online, but they want their
web sites to be perfect from the beginning.
We encourage you to let go of your reservations. The Internet is
not a static medium. It is constantly changing, and individual web
sites change as well. Instead of waiting until the perfect time, when
you can create the perfect web site, just make the commitment to
move forward with a simple site. Begin with the brochure site we
mentioned earlier. Add information. Then, when you are ready, offer
some products.
Although a web site is a natural extension of your off - line business,
it is very important to understand that online business operates by a
completely different set of rules and conventions. It is critical that you
gain the skills to make your online business a success. We are here to
show you how. Most of the advice we offer in the nuts - and - bolts sections
of this book will be directly applicable to your bricks - and - mortar
business.
Our second guest expert article, by Larry Goins, explains how
one real estate investor took his off - line business online, with hugely
profi table results.
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