Importance Of Online Business, Importance Of Online Presence, Importance Of Website in Online Business, Online Business Importance For SMEs

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Dr. Shekhar Kirani | 25 May, 2010
With more and more people using the Internet to browse and purchase products and services in India, an online presence for your company makes good business sense today. A business Web site can allow customers to find out about your business (products/services), contact and communicate with you and even make purchases.

Spending time and effort to create a Web presence for your business is therefore a worthwhile investment that may help boost visibility, your business and customer satisfaction. Otherwise, the business could face the risk of being outdated by the competition that comes in the form of young, open minded entrepreneurs, willing to embrace and use technology to their own advantage.

If your business has not embraced an online presence, is it because of reasons such as high costs or not being technologically-savvy? Or do you think your business is small and may not benefit from having a Web presence? These myths could be preventing you from maximizing the potential of your business. This article helps to bust such myths and walks you through some of the steps towards opening your business to the Internet world and helping to grow your business.

Learn the truth behind these common myths:

1. I am not sure how I would use my Web Site

A good business Web site can work for you in many different ways. A Web site can help project a more professional and well-established image of your business. A Web site is a great way to keep in touch with customers, disseminate information on your products and solutions and sell products online. It could be your first point of contact with customers and prospects, investors and even people you want to hire. Think of your Web site as your business card in action 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

2. My business is too small for a Web site

A small business juggling between "trying to reach enough people to make the business grow" and "keeping up with the current work" is a good candidate for a Web site.

Let’s take the hypothetical of a designer furniture shop owner. He has a beautiful selection of cupboards, tables, cabinets, sofas, and other furniture at his warehouse. As the shop is not in the heart of the city and he is busy designing and getting the goods made for his current customers, he does not know how to find his next set of customers.

There happens to be a consumer exhibition in town, and he pays a large amount of money for a stall to display his goods. While a great number of people see him and like his designs, they are not ready to make a purchase decision immediately.

If the furniture shop owner had a Web site where he regularly displayed his latest designs, he could have shared his Web site address with interested people and potentially made customers out of these contacts.

The furniture store owner can also use his Web site to keep in touch with existing customers to inform them of new designs that he introduces. Additionally, he could use his Web site to receive and resolve customer queries on upgrades.

3. I am not technologically-savvy

You do not need to be technologically-savvy to own a Web site for your business.

Here are the basics you need to know.

A Web site in its simplest form can be your company brochure on the Internet. The pages of your brochure are called Web Pages when they are in the electronic format!

Once you decide on the content you want on your Web Pages and what you want your Web site to do for your business, a Web designer can assist you in creating a Web site. There are also some Web site building tools available online which are easy to use. With these tools, you can make a simple Web site in a short time.

After you have done this, it is time to put your Web site up on the Internet. For this step, you work with a Web hosting company. In addition to making your Web site available via the Internet, a Web hosting company can also assist you in buying and registering a Web address for your Web site – called a Domain Name. This Web address makes your Web site accessible from almost anywhere in the world. Selecting the right domain name increases your visibility on the net. A .com domain name offers you one of the best options, because it helps provide instant recognition, visibility and credibility for your brand online, both in India and globally. A .com is appropriate for businesses of all sizes, and it is the most widely used domain name extension around the world1.

4. I can't afford a Web site

It is important to keep in mind that the set-up cost for a Web site is an investment; but any additional business generated by your Web site may well be enough to pay the ongoing costs of maintaining the Web site.

There are basic costs that as a business owner you will need to budget in order to own and maintain a basic Web site.

Your domain name and hosting of your site

In order to register a .com domain name you can visit a registrar’s Web site or log on to www.BeALeaderWith.com. The minimum registration term for a .com domain name is one year.

There are many kinds of hosting plans available. You can visit a registrar’s Web site to get details and costs of a hosting plan.

The design of your site

The cost of the design and development of your Web site will vary on your requirements. There are some Web site building tools available online which are easy to use. With these tools, you can make a simple Web site in a short period of time.
However, for bigger and more complex projects, there is the option of engaging an expert. From a very basic project, such as a Web site with informative content and some pictures, to a portal with many functionalities such as search and online payment, there are options in all price ranges.

5. I’ve got enough work at the moment

Web sites aren’t only about just winning new business. In fact, they also help you build and maintain good client relationships - a key for long-term business success. One of the most convenient and beneficial advantages of having a Web site is that it’s available even when your business is closed or no one is available to answer your phone. No more turning customers away when its time to close for the day or on a public holiday. Instead, you can now direct them to look at your Web site for certain information. Potential customers can come to your Web site 24/7 to find out information such as business hours, maps and directions, contact names and numbers. They can also shop when it is most convenient for them. If you are selling online, customers can be placing orders even while you're asleep! Your Web site will work for you beyond your business hours.

In this day and age, having a Web site can be an important advantage. It offers convenience, lends credibility, and it is one of the most affordable forms of advertising -- all while working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A Web site is a means to communicate with millions of Internet users that surf the Web and may be interested in your company and your product. As compared to other forms of advertising where costs may be prohibitive, a Web site makes you visible to your customers and partners in a cost-effective and simple way. As the number of Internet users and online purchases continue to rise, ask yourself….Can your business really afford not to have a Web site?

* Dr Shekhar Kirani is the Country Manager of VeriSign India.
* The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of SME Times.