Why do I need a Website?

click here for an informative video on what a website can do for you!

Why do I need a Web Site?

Usually, the worst reason to do something is “because everyone else is doing it.”
This is not necessarily the case when you are trying to sell your product or service. If you are not advertising where your competition is, you'll find yourself left behind.

In the past, when your customers were looking for a product or service, their first choice would be to pull out a phone book and search for a store or company in their area that provided the product or service they needed. Sometimes they only found a name and phone number. Other times they would get and address. Rarely would they find a photo advertisement with a list of services or products offered.

With the Internet today, that same customer can go to a search engine like Google or Yahoo and be presented with a list of businesses that fit their needs, with links to their web pages. Those web pages are loaded with product pictures, descriptions, instructions, price lists, maps and phone numbers, and even online shopping which allows the customer to order products and services all without ever leaving their house or office.

Perhaps you have a "service" oriented practice such as accounting, consulting or law that's already doing well and you're wondering why you should burden yourself with the added expense and effort of a Web site. Simply, not having a web site will soon be like not having a listing in your local phone book. In the Web world, this is referred to as a "corporate presence." Even if your best business comes by word-of-mouth, your potential customers may still want to check you out. A well-designed, professional web site will give you added visibility and credibility. The cost of maintaining a Web site is probably the most cost effective advertising you'll ever do. A quarter page ad in the phone book can cost hundreds of dollars per month, a 30 page website may only cost twenty.

Today, the Internet is one of the first places a person who has access to a computer will go to get information. The Internet 'IS' information. Whether it's information on weather, travel or a specific product or service, the Internet is THE place your customers look to for information.

Okay, I am convinced, I need a web site... what do I do now?

• First, you need to decide what information you would like to offer on your site. This can be as brief as one page describing who you are, where you are, what you do and how to contact you. It can be as comprehensive as you wish. You can include as many pages as you like describing your products and services or offering information you feel is relative to the needs of your customers and prospective customers.
• You need someone to design your web site for you. That's where we will help.  We take your information and pictures, brochures, or other graphics and combine them to make a professional website. We’ll work closely with you to make sure you get what you need and want.
• Next, you need to have someplace to store your pages so they can be accessed by all Internet users. This is called a Web "Server." There are two ways of getting a "server" …

1. Set up a computer in-house dedicated to Internet service. Generally speaking, only the largest companies have the resources to maintain an in-house server. This option requires 24 hour maintenance, a programmer and high speed communication lines. This is an expensive proposition.
2. Have an established Web Hosting company set “host” your site for you. This is by far the most common and least expensive way to get your website out onto the internet. Again, this is a service we provide.

Once the design is complete we will load it to the web server, test everything and make any last minute updates or corrections necessary. We will also assist you in setting up email accounts and demonstrate how to get the most out of your site.

Once your web site is up and running, there will still be maintenance and update issues. You may want to add pages or other services. Perhaps you need to make a few changes in the text of your pages. If you have someone in your company who is able to do this for you, you're all set. If not, you'll need someone to take care of these things for you. We can do that too!

Now you have a website, it is hosted, updated and ready to go. How do your customers or potential customers find you among the millions of sites on the web? The first thing you should do is place your site name or URL (www.mysite.com) on all your printed material (invoices, checks, business cards, etc.) on your vehicles, on your ads and anywhere else it makes sense. Do a press release and send an email announcement to all your customers. From here you may want to be listed in search engines like Google. We offer several services which will help you get your site listed on the major search engines. Now you are ready to go.