I cannot stress enough the importance of having a Web presence. Even if all you do is sell bread and waffles in your village, you should be aware of the power of the Web and understand its full potential. Don’t ignore the Web! You want to know why? Here’s why:
- The Web is already the first place where people (yes, customers) go when in need of information. Search engines are able to deliver relevant results for a specific query in no time. While people still visit stores and markets, read newspapers and magazines, the Web is more and more turning into an indispensable information resource. You have to be where your clients and potential clients go!
- There are already thousands of people shopping online. I even order my bread and waffles online, at a company called Morgengold. And it’s not necessarily because I am too lazy to walk one minute to the nearest backer shop. It’s just because it is easier, more convenient on a rainy day, I always get the bread delivered at my door and it is always fresh and warm! So the Web is no longer just a place where people go for information. It’s a market.
- There’s no better way to identify customers behaviors than using the Web. You’ll see in your Web Analytics program how the clients got to your site, what they were looking for, what captured their attention, what they want to buy, whether they return to your site or not and much more! Knowing all that information will help you identify the customers’ needs and adjust your marketing strategies to meet those needs.
- The right marketing strategy will determine an increase of sales, especially when you consider what is called “impulse purchasing”. Many companies stimulate their clients with an already deep-rooted technique “buy now, pay later”. Yet approach this with care, as many clients might “forget” their payments.
- The Web offers powerful marketing tools and you should definitely take advantage of them. For example DELL – a traditional online merchant – offers its clients flexible payment means and the possibility to customize their orders. This technique has its practical pros, but its essence is that the clients feel they purchase exactly what they want instead of a “take it or leave it” product. This leads to customer loyalty.
- The Web makes it possible for you to sell your products day and night, practically without moving a finger. Take a look at how Aaron Wall sells his “SEO Book”. With a paypal account and a good autoresponder program you might be able of similar performances. This is how you take advantage of the Web’s “immediate sales” possibilities.
- The Web is way cheaper in terms of promotion and customer support (a FAQ category could save a lot of time that’s usually wasted in a face-to-face meeting). Most email accounts are free, or included in a hosting package while promotion and advertising cost can be kept as low as needed.
- The Web is a highly flexible medium. It allows you to create a worldwide presence. I said it often and I’ll say it again: once you go online, you go Global.
