The question I get asked the most from the small business person - why would I want to put up a web site that is seen around the world when the customers I want are in my own back yard?

When I first started working with the Internet, many companies rushed to put up web sites because it was the latest, hottest thing. What resulted were a number of websites that were little more than “brochure-ware”. This is a site that is usually a literal translation of the company’s printed material, like a flyer, newsletter, or brochure, directly onto the electronic medium of the web. Unfortunately, some companies never progressed much further than that, even today.

Don’t misunderstand. Some companies put a lot of time and money into their brochures and, to gain local customers, this material can be very effective. But once the customer has gone online and read the material, what incentive is there for the customer to return?

The point is to be in front of the customer when that person is forming a buying decision. Most times, local businesses rely on something like the Yellow Pages. This form of brochure is divided by category best describing your service. In some cases, those services are accurate, but if the small business person adds services or would get more interest from being in another category, that person would have to wait a whole year before they could make any changes. And that would mean missing out on sales.

Enter Internet marketing. A big benefit is, because your web site can change, old customers will want to return to the site to see what is new, giving your business a better customer retention rate. Just as an owner can get listed in a “category” on the web using proper search terms embedded in the web site, they can change those terms at will. In addition, any new services can be added easily, getting interest from new customers.

Next week, we will talk about how to get your web site listed in local search lists…