More Flexible Than Print Advertising
The Internet is extremely different from print advertising in that space is cheap, your advertisement is accessible for a longer period of time, the content can be changed without having to ask someone to do it for you and you can potentially reach a wider audience.
This is not to say that you should not use other forms of advertising at all. You can use it to entice people to visit your website and find out about your company and potentially open two-way communication between the potential customer and a sales person.
Expand Your Market
The Internet has allowed businesses to break through the geographical barriers and become accessible, virtually, from any country in the world by a potential customer that has Internet access.
Economical Market Research
You can improve your product and the way you do business by using features such as: online surveys, visitor polls, and web metrics to find out what your customers do and do not like. Web metrics show you how much traffic your website receives, how the visitor got to your website and where, geographically, the visitor is from.
Improve Credibility
Now-a-days, if you do not have a website, you have already tarnished your credibility to that potential customer. A website gives you the opportunity to tell customers what you are about and why you deserve their trust and confidence. In fact, many people use the Internet for pre-purchase research so that they can determine for themselves whether a particular supplier or brand is worthy of their patronage, and won't take them for a ride. The Internet also allows for Viral Marketing where visitors of your website spread positive word-of-mouth about your business - thus your customers do your marketing!
Available All the Time
No more turning customers away when its time to close shop, putting up a note saying "Closed for Public Holiday", or leaving an irritating message on your answering service specifying your trading hours and then instructing them to visit your website for the information they are looking for. Having a web site guarantees that your products will be available to your customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days in a year.
Promote the Ol' Brick n' Mortar
Getting lost trying to find a place can be frustrating for a potential customer. You can tap into one of the most popular technology companies, using their freely available mapping system, to make your business accessible. Anyone customer that's familiar with using Google Maps will have no problem finding your physical store. Using Google Maps will give you features such as, directions, graphical landmarks, and the potential customer can print it out when looking for your Brick n Mortar premises.
You might advertise a promotion on your website encouraging the visitor to visit your Brick n' Mortar premises (e.g.. At a branch near you! ). Also, if you recently moved to a new location, you will have to wait for the next phone directory to come out before people figure out where you currently are. Because a website is flexible you can change the content as you like you can change you contact details instantly and lower the risk of losing customers when moving to a new location.
Offer Convenience
It is far more convenient for a person to research a product on the Internet than it is to get in a car, drive somewhere and look for or ask someone for information on a product. Also, a potential customer won't have to judge a call centre agent to determine whether he/she has their best interests in mind, or just wants to make a sale.
The potential customer can visit your website whenever they like in their own privacy and comfort, without the stresses and distractions that exist in the real world . Your website is a self-service medium for example, instead of having to wait in a long cue to pay your Cable bill, you can now do it electronically through the Cable company's website.
Add Value and Satisfaction
By offering convenience, a point of reference and that touch of individualized customer service, you ultimately add value to your offering and your customers experience a higher level of satisfaction.
Your website can add value in other ways too, by featuring tips, advice and general interest content you can entertain your customers. This will also help them remember you better.
Growth Opportunity
A website serves as a great place to refer potential investors to, to show them what your company is about, what it has achieved and what it can achieve in future.
Two-Way Communicative Marketing
Customers can quickly and easily give feedback on your product and/or marketing approach.
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