Out of the Crisis.Org

[Louis Altazan]

For many, the internet has become a primary source of information. Surveys have shown, an increasing number of people use the net rather than Yellow Pages, newspapers or many traditional sources of reference. I feel this trend is very likely to continue and accelerate.

A website is no longer a luxury for small business. In fact, an effective website can give a small business many of the advantages of a much larger operation, with regard to marketing. The website for my business brings in around a dozen jobs a weeks. This far more than pays its cost and return on investment outstrips all of our other marketing. It is a source of information that I can customize for the season, month, week or even hour.

An effective website can also be a good sales-closing tool. Price callers can be referred to the site. There they can “explore and discover” at their own pace. A credible site is like a referral. Folks can learn more about the business and develop a familiarity. Beyond that, current clients can be kept informed.

Building an effective website is a job for a professional, not just a programmer. A bona fide web designer is a must. With the vast number of sites online, it is becoming increasing difficult to stand out. Hiring a true web designer can help a great deal. The initial cost may be much more than hiring a friend or doing it yourself. Spread over time, the cost is negligible, especially compared to the loss-sale potential of an ineffective site.

Looking at quality sites can give ideas and there are loads of information on the net about things to avoid. At very least the site should be dynamic. That is the content should be fresh and kept constantly updated. Expect to spend a few hours a week. The site should be written from the clients perspective. People care less about the equipment a business uses than about the results they can provide.

A clearly marked and continually monitored means to contact the business MUST be in place. All email should be sent to an address that is monitored daily. Not responding to email tells clients the business does not care. Beyond that the site URL should be on everything the business has (e.g., signs, business cards, uniforms, invoices, newsletters, T-shirts, caps, pens, etc.) The web address should also accompany any other marketing, such as radio commercials and Yellow Page ads.

An effective website is one more piece of the marketing puzzle. A piece that is becoming increasing dangerous to be without.

_________________
Louis Altazan
Owner/Manager AGCO Automotive Corporation
Baton Rouge, LA