A Company Website is no longer an option
It was just 10 years ago that the local Telephone Yellow Pages in every town was the first place every business put their advertising dollars. For as little as $25 a year, a small business could be listed in this amazing reference book which every consumer reached for first in locating the business services and products they needed. A consumer even had to call their local Better Business Bureau to get information which took time and was very inconvenient for most individuals. Many local businesses paid individuals to put circulars on windshields and door knobs in their targeted marketing area. This was the best and most effective method of mass merchandising. Many of you reading this, including myself, earned some great spending money in our teens this way.
Small businesses never thought about doing business outside a 10 mile radius from their shop or their small town. The andldquo;Mom and Popandrdquo; business was content to service the customers in their geographic area and did not conceive they could compete outside their market area for any number of reasons. Many small retail establishments were more interested in doing everything they could to use their City Council to keep Wal-Mart from entering their market. Small manufacturing companies were watching their product being produced in China and Mexico and not being able to compete with these new manufacturers.
Every business cycle has its winners and losers and the cycle of the andldquo;Internetandrdquo; has caused many small and medium businesses to fail while it has allowed many businesses to make dramatic changes, keep up with the new marketplace and increase their profitability.
I continue to be amazed at the small and medium businesses that do not feel the need to have a presence on the Web and continue to believe they are secure and happy with their local geographic marketplace. These, unfortunately, are businesses waiting to fail and close. This statement sounds harsh but is as factual as andldquo;death and taxes.andrdquo;
My twenty year old son has never used a YellowPage book and only knows to use www.yellowpages.com or www.superpages.com to find a business service or product locally. He believes my stories about the annual YellowPages are as useful as my fatherandrsquo;s discussion with me about his walking to school in the snow. My son automatically uses Google to find whatever he needs and purchases products from all over the world with ease.
My point is very simple here for every businessman who either doesnandrsquo;t see the need or is afraid of taking the next step andndash; DO IT and DO IT NOW !!
There are numerous web hosting companies that are very reliable. Many of these same companies have a free website building tool that allows most people with just an elementary knowledge of andldquo;computer speakandrdquo; to build a useable and professional looking site in a short time period. There are many, many consulting companies and computer companies that will build and maintain a professional website at a cost that is comfortable for any business owner. The bottom line is that you must have a Website to be a functioning part of todayandrsquo;s business environment and it must be and stay current to attract your customer base.
I have also stated loud and clear for many years that all business is global, whether we like it or not. The andldquo;Mom and Popandrdquo; business that makes and sells custom cowboy boots, ladies handbags, custom furniture or anything is now a global business. The medium business that sells scratch removal polish, water jugs, electronic components for transformers or anything else is now a global business.
The only businesses that are not global and can exist and thrive at this time are in third world countries where there is not adequate telephone, fax and internet communication or have a government that does not allow these facilities. If you live anywhere else in the world, you are and will continue to work in a global environment. Your business must adapt and embrace this new business community for the future success and profitability of your company.
When you create your website, do not put a 5 digit input field for andldquo;Zip Code.andrdquo; Ask your website designer to put in the fields for andldquo;Zip Code/Postal Codeandrdquo; and make sure you add a field for andldquo;Country.andrdquo; Remember that the German businessman, who uses the internet to find better products and services, may want to contact you. Do not make it difficult for your potential customers to contact you.
Finally, do your homework and ensure your web hosting company submits your site to the internet search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask and AOL. It is fairly easy to do this yourself but you will be busy increasing your infrastructure for the new business you are creating thanks to your new global web based business.
Mel Luigs is the President and CEO of AML & Associates, a national management consulting company, which provides a "Part Time" CFO for small and medium business that want to grow and expand. He is a highly accomplished executive with a solid history of developing critical business solutions and demonstrated leadership in both small and Fortune 500 companies. He has a strong combination of operational and financial expertise in both the manufacturing, retail and franchise business areas along with a solid background building strong working relationships, growing small companies or departments, building customer oriented teams and obtaining results. His company website is www.aml-associates.com
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