Does Your Local Business Really Need A Web Site

Your Local Business:
Does It Really Need A Web Site?

Do Local Stores Need a Web Site?

You own a local store. You don't use the Internet very much...and neither do most of the people you know. Yet it seems everyone is pushing you to get a web site.

Why?

Well, you might be interested in some solid facts:

"The findings of a...survey of more than 5,000 online buyers conducted by The Kelsey Group and BizRate.com reveal that local commercial searches - those seeking merchants 'near my home or work' - represent 25.1% of all searches being performed by online buyers, more than double the amount previously estimated by analysts."

Can you afford to spend about 1/10 the price of traditional advertising to gain a new customer?

You might ask yourself... can you afford not to?

About 98 percent of the 22 million businesses in the United States are small or mid-sized, and they spend about $22 billion a year in local advertising. Most advertising costs have traditionally spent on:

Yellow Pages ads - expensive and quickly being challenged by Internet searching;
Mailings - with have an average return of less than 2%;
Local media - which has a better response rate but also can be out of reach for all but the most successful local businesses.

Less Outlay, More Sales

The cost for one lead through direct mail is $9.94. The local yellow pages drops to $1.18...Now compare those with a lead from an Internet search: 29 cents with a traditional web site - and as low as 12 cents with some of the simpler solutions that are available.

Can you afford to spend about 1/10 the price over traditional advertising for a new customer? You might ask yourself... can you afford not to?

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of all U.S. small businesses are connected to the Internet. USA Today reports that business owners who've gotten wired are pretty satisfied with the results. Larry Tamkin, a partner with Next Level Realty in Boston, gets 10 leads a day from online ads for his Web site. When was the last time an ad you ran in your local paper brought in 10 new customers?

Grab the Customer Before Your Competion Does!

So, it seems that it might be time for you to reconsider your thoughts about the Internet and your business. Local search is bringing new customers to local merchants, freelancers, crafters and self-employed professionals. The prices for online ads are reaching levels that even the smallest marketing budget can handle. If your competition is online and you're not... guess who's getting the new customers?

With many places offering simple solutions, small local shops can skip the complicated Ecommerce - Domain - Hosting - Design steps....and go straight to having a site that can be found 24 hours a days 365 days a year by anyone.

If you want your business to be able to compete, it's definitely time to get online!

About the Author...
Chiff.com Directory Editorial Team