What is the purpose of your website?
While there are a handfull of reasons driving companies to build a web presence,
your choice doesn't have to fit a mold. You do however need to think about
what you want to accomplish with your website.
Here are a few standard choices to help you get started.
- Provide information about your products and
services. Service businesses such as plumbers, contractors,
doctors, and small retail busineses; restaurants, giftshops, clothing, etc. don't sell on their website. They
market to the public, informing people of the benefits of using their business, along with
contact information, maps with directions, etc.
- Provide customer service and support.
Your website is a
great place to provide support and give customers a way to find important followup information.
FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) can take a load off of you and your staff while providing
answers for your customers on a 24/7 basis.
- Sell a Service or product online.
There are several ways
for small to medium sized businesses to ease their way into online sales. If your online sales expectations are
more than a thousand or two dollars a month, you need to think of more than just a website. Order
fulfillment, tracking, Online credit card authorization, and customer service systems need to be in place
before you begin online sales.
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