Thoughts on Marketing…

So you have a local business – and maybe you think that since all of your customers come from the immediate area, you don’t need a website.

Take a minute and re-think that position.

Few live in a community as small as mine – population about 1,500 – but even here, businesses would benefit from a website, for the simple reason that a website is always there, and it gives – or should give- a lot more information than a listing in the phone book.

Say you want to go out to dinner. Which restaurant serves the kind of food you want – and at what prices? Will you try a new place and take a chance on not finding anything you want to eat – or paying twice what you might pay at the old “tried and true” spot?

What if you could go to the website and see a copy of the menu? And what if you could see what their hours of operation are?

We have a couple of places that close early – or do they still do that? I heard a rumor that one or the other is staying open for dinner one or two nights a week. Is it true? We don’t know, so we won’t plan to go there.

See how those conversations in your head ramble on? What if they could be answered through a quick search on the web?

And what if someone is new in town? They have no idea where to go – but a website (with proper SEO, of course) would tell them.

Restaurants aren’t the only ones, either. For instance, which gas stations offer service? Can you get your oil changed in town – or not?

How about hair dressers? Is there someone in town who can do a pin curl like grandma likes? Or someone who is really sharp with the new hairstyles the kids crave? Does anyone stay open in the evening so you could get an appointment after work?

How many dog lovers in our small town know that the feed store carries high-end dog food? Only the ones who also have livestock. (Yes Jack – you need a website!)

I could go on with examples, but let’s get back to the basics here…

Your website is a tool – a tool to let potential customers know the benefit of doing business with you. That might be your expertise in a certain area, or it might be the products you carry, or your hours of operation.

You could spend thousands of dollars on newspaper ads to tell them, but when a person wants to know, do you think they’ll really go search through the newspaper to find your ad? That’s not likely – but if you have a well-optimized website, they can find what they need in minutes.

Think about this. A domain name costs only about $10 – and hosting costs only a few dollars a month. And once you have your information uploaded, it’s there. I promise you, it won’t be lining a bird cage or helping get the fire started the day after tomorrow.

If you’re not a “do-it-yourselfer” It may cost a little to get the copy and the graphics, but once you have them, you have them. You don’t have to pay again and again and again like you do with either newspaper or yellow pages ads.

Even better, if you have a little talent for the written word, your website can include a blog – where you can interact with your customers and build relationships that bring in more and more new business.

Think about it – and then, either get yourself a website, or take a close look at the one you have to make sure it answers the questions your potential customers have. Remember… they want to know “What’s in it for me” if I visit this establishment or call this business person?

Tell them!