What Does a Website Mean to my Small Business?

Robert Cooper, May 15, 2002

With many small businesses the web is a tangle of misconception and promise. While the dot-coms have come and gone, there is a huge world out there that uses the web for many daily tasks. For many people, the web is the first place to go for information on any topic and a preliminary to almost any purchasing decision. This is a golden opportunity for many small businesses, however, the high cost of building a professional, effective website is prohibitive and the returns ambiguous. What does a website mean to you?

First, for the small business, a website is not simply Internet advertising. A website is an effective tool to communicate with your customers between a successful advertising impression and that first phone call. Many small businesses advertise effectively in the Yellow Pages, in the local paper or via signage. There are proven means to have people find out that their services are available and to get that first call from the customer. Providing a web URL in these impression-based advertisements gives the customer a pointer to more detailed information about the services or goods a small business can provide. Small business websites can deliver much more detail about the business than any other collateral and can help qualify that customer before that first call. A customer that calls a business knowing in more detail what goods or services are offered, how much they should expect to pay and what the purchasing process is like will be closer to a purchasing decision when the phone rings. This helps you prequalify customers better and streamlines the sales process.

For some businesses that are driven by event- based sales, such as music venues, a website can be an important tool in keeping existing customers coming back. By providing up-to-date information via a website and email notifications, many small business can drive continued sales and retain regular customers. Many Atlanta area night clubs have already discovered how effective a tool email can be when it is welcome (not SPAM) and targeted. A well updated website that provides users with product availability and pricing information that may change frequently can also help drive sales. Businesses such as small computer stores, where prices can change weekly, or even daily, can inform both new and returning customers about specials and availability.

These are the promises of the web, but what about the cost of getting on the web? Does keeping my information up to date mean I have to hire an expensive expert? Thankfully, no. New classes of businesses called Application Service Providers (ASPs) help to reduce this burden. By providing an application or software package on a service basis along with administration, hosting, and support, ASPs offset the cost of high-end systems to small to medium size businesses by maintaining an economy of scale. This means the smaller businesses can get a relative level of service for a smaller recurring charge that many larger organizations may pay large lump sums to build. Moreover, the level of quality that is delivered is higher than if the small enterprise had a less costly single build, or tried to maintain it with less costly and less skilled personnel. “Companies that use ASPs for eMarketing programs generate higher response rates, higher click-through rates, and higher purchase rates than utilizing in-house solutions," notes Forrester Research, a prominent information technology consultancy.

While there are many factors in making a decision about a website for your small business, some important ones to keep in mind are: (1) does the content on my website provide as much information as possible to help a consumer make a decision about my business, (2) does my website aesthetic characteristics add to or distract the user from the message, (3) does my website provide easy-to-update content that can change as my need change.

Edsyndicate, an Atlanta based ASP provides web hosting services tuned to the needs of small business. Our web based administration and editing gives content owners the ability to easily update the information on their site with any Windows™ based computer. It also provides flexibility in look and feel of your website, very flexible systems based on Java™ and XML that can be integrated with an existing site, and optional mailing list or newsletter management and site traffic reporting. With very low set up costs and small monthly charges, the barrier to entry for the web for small business has been pushed lower than ever before, and our talented graphic artists will assure that your website has the polish of the expensive websites. Don’t be confused by ISPs with bargain-bin pricing or “x-page static” template sites from other vendors. They don’t offer the level of service or the ability to update your site easily. Packaged software often doesn’t produce results that are viewable on all computer platforms, and grows old quickly in the wild world of the web. With Edsyndicate’s ASP solution your software is always state of the art and backed by a team of experienced IT professionals making sure your site is compliant with the latest Internet standards.