The days of the little boy standing on a phone book to kiss the taller girl may soon be over. The Google generation have taken those first tentative steps online, and many are now more likely to send a Facebook message than a love letter. Meanwhile, the phone book itself may be lost to its online counterparts, or simply to search engines, as tomorrow’s top spenders realise that 10 seconds of typing is both easier and more efficient than five minutes of leafing.
With a huge potential consumer base turning to the internet as their primary research source, why do a huge number of small businesses in Britain still have no web presence at all? Is a website right for all small businesses, or are there other options?
If you run a little local shop, used only to supplying the locals their Sunday paper, milk and eggs, then a website probably isn’t for you. After all, the Smiths at number 29 are unlikely to want an RSS feed of when their groceries are in stock. For you, web design may simply be a costly exercise that results in an unknown site in the graveyard of the search engines’ back pages.
If you are more of a Dragon’s Den fan, and have masterminded the next big thing in consumer goods - or at least a business with room to grow - then whatever you’re selling, it could benefit from adding some online bells and whistles.
Not only is a website at the fingertips of today’s (and tomorrow’s) consumer, but it offers them, and you, more than a simple paper ad. More interactivity means that they can really get involved with not only your business, but your individual products, checking specifications, pricing and availability at the click of a button. More flexibility from your site’s unlimited opening hours means that they can research your business conveniently around their work and family commitments. More opportunities for feedback - through emailed comments, online forums and analyses of visitor activity - allow you to learn and develop your business to your customers’ preferences, targeting them more accurately now and in the future.
As your business grows, your website can quickly and conveniently supply all necessary contact and order details to potential customers, publicly celebrate your progress, and even serve as a portal for national and international interest even before you consider a physical presence in a new region.
A website is an investment, a nod to a long-term plan for expansion of your business and your profit margin. But if your bank manager is shaking their head, fear not - there are a multitude of cheaper options that still provide some level of online presence. For example, you can stick to what you know, and go with an online, searchable version of your usual phone book ad, hosted and maintained by a company you trust. Alternatively, you can place ads on other relevant websites, like those of publications that appeal to the same audience as your business.
The worldwideweb is your Oyster.