Why do you have/need a website? I meet a lot of people from various walks of life. Most of the time we end up talking about websites and my favorite question is, what the need is for a website. Some people know their answer very well but most of them do not have a single clue on why they are having a website. The answers that I come across are different like the people I meet. Below are some of the interesting responses that I had gathered all these years.
- Peer Pressure
- Isn’t it cool to be on the web?
- Available 24/7
- Not limited by geography constraints
- Register my brand name in Internet
- Attract customers during research phase itself
- Maintain relationship with customers
- Cost-effective marketing
- Visiting Card has too much of white-space
- Improve communication with customers
1. Peer Pressure
As with any technology adoption, “Peer Pressure” is driving businesses to the web. My competition is on the web, so I also would like to be part of it. But being a recent entrant, Johnny-come-latelies will have to overcome lot of challenges to make their presence felt.
2. Isn’t it cool to be on the web?
Everybody’s talking about IT (InterneT). The numbers churned out in media is very impressive (almost 1.5 billion Internet users). Youngsters have taken to the web in a big way. So would like to be part of the future.
3. Available 24/7
The website is available 24/7, 365 days a year. This makes it convenient for the merchant to strike/build relationship, with customers and potential customers, even on holidays and after-working hours.
4. Not limited by geography constraints
Being on the Internet also provides global visibility as websites are not limited by geography. Moving to the web essentially globalizes the customer-base.
5. Register the brand name in Internet
Many businesses want to register their brand name in the Internet, before someone else takes them. Registering a website also ensures the business look professional. In addition they also get professional email-ids with business names part of it.
6. Attract customers during research phase itself
These days Internet is the first-stop for people to find information, research on products and services and to connect. A website, available 24/7 without geography constraints, is an ideal location to tell its visitors about the business and its products and services. A website is also not constrained by any physical limitations so that businesses can display wide variety of products and services. Just imagine having an employee attend all the business queries even during the nights. This will definitely incur additional expenses and he/she will not be in a position to attend all the calls. But on the other hand, websites can also be used as a first-level call-centre i.e. to educate visitors on the features including photos of products and services. This enables employees to concentrate on other important questions. A website can also be used to publish information on events, offers, promotions etc.
7. Maintain relationship with customers
A website can also be used to accept feedback/comments from the customers and not only to publish information. The queries can be aggregated and segmented and can be added to the FAQ (frequently-asked-questions) section, on an on-going basis. Businesses can project a professional and positive attitude with a website that is up-to-date
8. Cost-effective marketing
Internet provides unmatched reach, 24/7 availability and interactivity. Adding cost-effectiveness to the list makes Internet the best media for marketing businesses. The ROI provided by Internet cannot be matched by traditional media like Radio, Newspapers, and Television etc. Websites can be effectively used to publish about business products, services, events, offers, promotions etc.
9. Visiting Card has too much of white-space
Believe or not, one gentleman told me that there was too much of white-space on his business card, so he had to fill it up with the name of his website and e-mail address.
10. Improve communication with customers
Websites enhance the communication process between businesses and their customers. Websites enable businesses to keep their customer base informed through various avenues such as e-mail, forums, blogs, enquiry form, message boards etc.
