You can see that the typical small business website is used for advertising but, not all. A new customer of mine, a Home Re-modeler, has all of the work he can handle - and can have more for the asking. Yet he was very interested in presenting his finished projects on a website. He plans on using the site as an on-line showcase, just to show customers the available options.

However, even though he has all the work he can handle, the new website is bringing in new prospects. What a great position to be in - especially in the economy!

Listed below you will find a number of reasons why we go over the advantages of having a website.

	Consumers search for products and services online before making purchases. Being found on the Internet will give you an advantage over your competition when they call you instead of the competition.
	You are able to conduct business when it is convenient for your client whether it be during the day or in the middle of the night. You are never actually closed. If you choose an e-commerce website, your customers can shop with you 24 hours.
	Consumers can become educated about your business and get answers to many of their questions which will help to cut back on the number of phone calls you receive with this information on your website..
	Your website can provide further support to existing customers by offering information such as troubleshooting procedures, product specification and parts list, how-to procedures, diagrams, and special help lines. By having this help available 24 hours a day you will be able to decrease the number of customer service employees you have on staff.
	There is potential for your website to become a resource of information for the public. By supplying helpful tips and articles that are relevant to your industry, you will give visitors a reason to come back to your website..
	Consumers have more confidence in and prefer doing business with companies that they know something about. Inform visitors about the structure of your company, of your community involvement, the products and services you offer, awards, and employment opportunities.

There probably are a few small business owners that just don’t need a website, but not many.

Let’s say that your company has all of the customers it needs, your phone never stops ringing, your customers like you and your work, and they keep coming back for more. In that situation, how would a website help? To answer this I must first point out that a website can provide advantages other than advertising.

It can be an on-line reference to pass on information that would otherwise take up your time on the telephone. The information could be your business hours, your next opening in the schedule, the scope of projects you’re willing to take on. Then when they call, they are ready to place an order.

The website can offer a gallery of completed projects. For example, if you’re a house painter you can show a few before and after pictures. Again this will save you the time it takes to go over that on the phone - and it’s visual.

In short, your site can be an inexpensive way to save time. But for most of us it becomes a business expander.

This is what should happen:

• The website should be reviewed by the customer during development
• The developer should study the website’s target audience and provide suggestions to reach that that audience. If the website advertises an accounting firm, the content need’s to appeal to the potential customers.
• After development and before the site is live, there should be a thorough review involving the customer and the developer. Amy change should be reviewed.
• The developer should  monitor the website’s visitors to ensure that it’s search engine friendly.
• Website updates should be promptly dealt with.
• Periodic website reformatting should be introduced in order to keep the site looking fresh.

In other words, the website provider should act more like a partner!

To best explain this we will explore a couple of scenarios. In all cases the assumption is that you run a small business. Your particular situation will determine the best course of action.

• Established Business with a well established number of customers

Assuming that you are satisfied with the business from established customers, relying totally on the web may not be a bad idea. You could even argue that with a steady flow repeat business there is no point to any advertising - but don’t make that mistake! As you would expect, a website can keep you name out there, keep your customers informed about any changes to you business, and provide information to new prospects. However, unlike print ads, a website is far less expensive.

In this situation, my recommendation would be to:

1. Launch a website.
2. Sent a notice announcing the website to your customers.
3. Discontinue all print ads.

With the website in place you will have the ability to “step it up” if you need more business.

• New company / Start up

In most cases a new business is best advertised with a combination of print and web based ads, unless you know for a fact that your customers would always look on-line. But even then, you still might catch some business with print ads. The problem is that in a start up company environment there are many surprises. Therefore it is best to diversify.

Note that it is as much of a mistake to depend solely on print ads!

• Young company worried about uncontrolled growth

A young company growing too fast is a valid concern. Fast paced expansion forces a long stream of quick decisions and a lot of opportunity for error. In this atmosphere, using a website in place of other advertising forms is a good idea. The website offers a single control point that can be changed quickly. Prices can be raises or lowered, levels of service can be adjusted, and new products can be announced.

• Established company in a down-turn

This is a touch call. A very common mistake is to turn off all advertising to save a few bucks. That could be a bad mistake. This is the time to get the word out and whether you do it face to face, by telephone, print ad, or over the internet – just do it!

I would recommend increasing the level of advertising with a high priority on adding or expanding your website. Put simply it is low cost and has a great up side.

So what do the larger companies do? They use their website and the print advertisements together. The company sales brochure will always reference the website. The website will have a form to order paper articles and instruction manuals.

In all cases the website is the centerpiece.

1. Select a website name
2. Determine the content to be displayed
3. Build a website
4. Install the website on a server
5. Attract visitors
6. Install periodic upgrades

Typically business owners who outsource their website design are involved in the website name selection and in selecting the content. Due to time constraints, this is often true even in cases where the owner has the necessary skills. But let’s assume that you wish to the job yourself. Each step is explained below:

• You’re business has changed. Maybe you’ve added a new product or service. Maybe you’ve changed your prices.
• The website needs to have some changes just to keep a fresh look.
• You have decided that there’s content that you would prefer be stated or pictured another way.

Updates are normal and keep your website interesting. For this reason, VantageSites are designed for flexibility.

The effort required to add in the feature will determine the add-on fee. Pricing for special features are considered on a case by case basis.

The standardized format also allows us to engineer enhancements compatible with all our customers’ sites.