Everyone I work with says “The website is good enough, it works”, “What is the difference if I end up on the first page of Google”, “Why do I really need a website, I still get business other ways”. My answer… simple, there are 5 reasons why.
- The phone book is going away according to many people. With this decline, mobile devices and online media are taking it’s place
- Online advertising (via a website) increases your available market at a lower cost than standard media outlets
- Selling online is less expensive than a brick and mortar store
- It is all about appearance. If you aren’t found online, many people will consider you less reliable, or professional
- Sharing = word of mouth. With social media the rule of 1 person refers a good company to 10 of their friends still works. But you need a website to do it.
To me the most likely to grab your attention is number 2. The average cost of a website is approximately $1300 to get established for a single informational site. This would cover the design, setup, and initial hosting. Then you are looking at close to $300 or less a month to host the site dependant on what support your are offered. Add some SEO, SEM, and other things and you might be a little higher. But you are reaching Millions of people, not just those in your immediate area unlike the investment in newspaper ads, or billboards etc.
So get started today! Increase the span of your marketing efforts for a fraction of the cost