Some of the goals that
can be achieved by launching a website include the following:
1. Far Cheaper and Much More Flexible Than Print
Advertising
The Internet is extremely different from print advertising
in that space is cheap, your advertisement is accessible
for a longer period of time, the content can be changed
without having to ask someone to do it for you (if you
use a content management system) and you can potentially
reach a wider audience.
This is not to say that you
should not use other forms of advertising at all
You can use it to entice people to visit your website
and find out about your company and potentially open
two-way communication between the potential customer
and a sales person.
2. Market Expansion
The Internet has allowed businesses to break through
the geographical barriers and become accessible, virtually,
from any country in the world by a potential customer
that has Internet access.
3. Diversify Revenue Streams
A website is not just a medium for representation
of your company, it is a form of media from which everybody
can acquire information. You can use this media to sell
advertising space to other businesses.
A recent trend has risen
where businesses feature their very own directory of
complimentary services, where the visitor can search
for information on a business that will enhance the
use of your service. The business sells complimentary
businesses a listing in their directory.
A good example is a catering
company featuring a directory with businesses such as
event co-coordinators, electronic equipment rental companies,
etc.
4. 24 7 365
No more turning customers away when its time to
close shop, putting up a note saying closed for
public holiday , or leaving an irritating message on
your answering service specifying your trading hours
tell them to visit your website for information they
are looking for.
5. Offer Convenience
It is far more convenient for a person to research
a product on the Internet than it is to get in a car,
drive somewhere and look for or ask someone for information
on a product. Also, a potential customer won t have
to judge a call centre agent to determine whether he/she
has their best interests in mind, or just wants to make
a sale.
The potential customer can
visit your website whenever they like in their own privacy
and comfort, without the stresses and distractions that
exist in the real world .
Your website is a self-service medium for
example, instead of having to wait in a long cue to
pay your TV License, you can now do it electronically
through the TV License website.
6. Add Value and Satisfaction
By offering convenience, a point of reference and
that touch of individualized customer service, you ultimately
add value to your offering and your customers experience
a higher level of satisfaction.
Your website can add value
in other ways too, by featuring tips, advice and general
interest content you can entertain your
customers. This will also help them remember you better.
7. Standardize Sales Performance
By looking at which approached / pitches have worked
in the past and those which have not, you can produce
the ultimate pitch and use it with your website, so
that you use it on every customer. No more training
of sales people and waiting for them to get a feel for
your line of trade.
8. Improve credibility
A website gives you the opportunity to tell potential
customers what you are about and why you deserve their
trust and confidence. In fact, many people use the internet
for pre-purchase research so that they can determine
for themselves whether a particular supplier or brand
is worthy of their patronage, and won t take them for
a ride.
The Internet also allows for Viral Marketing
where your website visitors spread positive word-of-mouth
about your business - your customers do your marketing!
9. Promote your Brick n Mortar
Presence
Getting lost trying to find a place can be frustrating
for a potential customer. You can publish what they
call a dummy map on your website, which
shows directions and landmarks graphically, and the
potential customer can print it out when looking for
your Brick n Mortar premises.
You might advertise a promotion
on your website encouraging the visitor to visit your
Brick n Mortar premises (e.g..
At a branch near you! ).
Also, if you recently moved to a new location, you will
have to wait for the next 'phone directory to come out
before people figure out where you currently are. Because
a website is flexible you can change the
content as you like you can change you contact
details instantly and lower the risk of losing customers
when moving to a new location.
10. Growth Opportunity
A website serves as a great place to refer potential
investors to, to show them what your company is about,
what it has achieved and what it can achieve in future.
11. Two-Way Communicative Marketing
Customers can quickly and easily give feedback on
your product and/or marketing approach.
12. Cheap Market Research
You can use features on your website such as visitor
polls, online surveys and your website statistics to
find out what your customers like more and how they
feel about certain aspects of your business to determine
how you can improve your product and the way you do
business.
Website statistics show you
how much traffic your website receives, how the visitor
got to your website and where, geographically, the visitor
is from.
By
John Simms, Internet Marketer for Eiledon Solutions,
a web design and
website development company in Cape Town. Free Website Quote |
