Why the Corner Grocery Needs a Website
If you own a small business, such as a corner grocery or a design service, you don’t need to bother with a website, right?
No, wrong.
Of course there’s nothing that says you have to have one – after all, you got along without one all this time. And, if you’re perfectly content with the amount of business you do, then you might not want to bother.
But if you dream of earning more, a good website would be a wise investment. After all, you have your regular customers, but hundreds more might begin using your establishment if they knew it existed.
Just think, dozens of people each day might be passing by just a block or two away and not even realize you’re there! Dozens more might be moving into your neighborhood, or a nearby neighborhood, and not even think to give you a try.
Through your website you can:
- Let people know what kind of products you offer
- Post your hours
- Give directions to your store
- Draw in people who are new to the area
- Pull in customers from nearby neighborhoods
But you can do even more than that. If you make just a little more effort, you can begin gathering the e-mail addresses of all those regular customers, and turning them into PR people for your business.
By sending even a monthly letter informing your customers of your specials, and by including a “bring a friend” coupon, your traffic could begin to increase exponentially.
Even better, once in place, that e-mail blast could soon replace the costly ad you might be running in the local newspaper – while it brings in a lot more customers.
The result: More business at a lower advertising cost.
For ways to jump-start sales on a limited budget, read my new e-book on small business marketing.
Posted: May 3rd, 2010 under advertising, business building, effective marketing, good salesmanship, inexpensive marketing, marketing, small business marketing, web copywriting.
Comments
Comment from Jack Donais
Time May 5, 2010 at 7:42 am
Im launching a company web site . Hopefully it will be finished soon. I think it will draw lots of new people.
Comment from Cassandra
Time May 3, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Yes, you made some great points here. I know the first thing I do before visiting any establishment is an internet search. If the company does not have a website, I am skeptical. Office Live Small Business is a great (and inexpensive!) service that allows people to build and design their own small business websites. It is template-based so there is no need to know how to code, you get web hosting, personalized email, technical support, and since you are the owner of the site, you can make changes whenever you need!
See what people are saying about Office Live Small Business here: http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/en-US/customer-gallery.
For great tips and conversation about running a small business website, join the community over on the Office Live Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/officelive.
Cheers,
Cassandra
Microsoft Office Live Outreach