The Simple Answer
Whereas owning a website may not be paramount,
with regards to the success of your business, it
sure wouldn't hurt anything by having one. After
all, any form of targeted advertising is
always a good thing.
Since it generally costs around $100 per year
to host a site and register a domain name, in
many cases, the worst case scenario is that it
if this generates 1 or 2 new clients in a year,
your website has paid for itself. At which point,
anything extra is profit.
Who Should Definitely Own A Website
In our opinion, there are a few business types
that really should get their company represented
online.
- If you are looking to generate new clientele.
- If you offer a service that frequently updates
(E.g., seasonal rates, real estate listings, auto
listings, etc..)
- Any and all recreation oriented services.
- If your club or organization communicates regularly
with members or hosts events.
Who Could Get By Without A Website
In spite of what some developers may say, not
everyone needs a website (though, as stated
above, it doesn't hurt ;) ).
In our opinion, if you run a service that is
solely 'locally based'. Meaning, all of
your clientele, comes from a radius of a few miles,
you may not need a website.
For example: let's say "Joe's garage"
specializes in oil changes and tune-ups and is
located in a small town or close neighborhood.
Most likely, "Joe's" customers are all
local regulars and a website wouldn't really offer
any new information to his customers. In fact, this
would be an example of a business that, at best,
only needs a Yellow Page listing in the local phone
book.
