By Karen Van Winkle

When a business has a product to sell, it is the product that first attracts a potential customer to the website. An example would be an artisan (Custom Necklaces by K.D.) located in Bend who creates custom, one-of-a-kind necklaces using sterling silver and semi-precious stones. If you were looking for a unique gift for someone special, or maybe yourself, this would be a “product” you could search for on the Internet. It is a tangible item you can see before you purchase and therefore makes sense for this artisan to have a website.

A common thought is that if your business provides a service (intangible product) a website is not needed and will not draw in potential clients, and that only a business with an actual product can benefit from a website.

If you are looking for a service such as a bookkeeper, photographer, painter, etc. you can search the Internet for local businesses that provide such a service.  Would you hire them based on their website alone?  Probably not.  However, a website still provides potential clients with basic information and a feel for the person(s) and the service(s) that will be provided.  Kind of like a sneak preview before an actual meeting takes place.

In the end, people work with product-oriented companies because of the product, convenience or other positive ways it will impact their life. People work with service-oriented companies because of the people – not their website. 

Most businesses can benefit from a website - whether they have a product to sell or a service to provide.  If you are a service-oriented business you may not “make a sale” through your website but it may provide a reason for someone to pick up the phone, or send you an email, inquiring into your service(s).

Below are some reasons to consider having a website:

Customer Confidence - Customers have more confidence and are more likely to contact you once they have a little bit of company information. Customers almost expect a business to have a website today.

Educate your Customers about your business, the services or products offered, business hours, location, and reduce the number of phone calls received for simple inquiries. When someone calls you can always refer them to your website as part of your voicemail message if you are unable to take the call.

Inexpensive – It’s less expensive than printed material to create a web presence for your business. Purchasing a domain and hosting package are your initial start up costs (this is highly recommended as opposed to having your website stored under someone else's business website). Then depending on how detailed your site is will determine any additional expenses for design. Remember - your website is your 24/7/365 salesperson.

Convenience - Your customers can locate information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you have products to sell, e-commerce is a great way to allow your customers to purchase your products when it is convenient for them.

Reduce Overhead Costs - Updating your website is much less time consuming and less costly than updating printed material. You can update pictures, pricing, specifications, recall notices, newsletters, etc. within a few minutes or an hour depending on the update needed.

Communication - a great way to send out email updates on your products or services, as well as a monthly/quarterly newsletter to your bowling colleagues, existing clients or potential clients.

Online Appointment Calendars - a convenience for existing clients and reduces the number of "phone tag" calls to set up an appointment for a visit to the doctor, massage therapist, counselor, etc. They can choose the service provider, date of service and available times with you receiving an email to notify you an appointment has been made, while existing appointment information remains confidential and unseen.

Information Resource - You can provide industry related tips and information which helps to bring repeat visitors to your site.

Product/Services Search - Consumers search the Internet for product and services before they purchase. Being on the web puts you a step ahead of your competition.

Customer Support - hours of support, product specification sheets, how-to procedures, troubleshooting guides and method of support (email and/or phone).

Updating your website - Updating a website keeps visitors coming back to see the latest information, pictures, and helps in your overall ranking.

It is not always about if you can create a website for your business but if you want to spend the time learning how to create it. There are many "do-it-yourself" website packages out there for the person who has limited or no experience building a website. However, they are not quite as easy as they might appear. You need to have some basic knowledge of layout, design, meta tags, etc. in order to make them effective for your business. With today's competitive market on the web, your site needs to be optimized to get the highest ranking possible so it is visible to potential clients when they look for you.

The Internet is here to stay so why not take advantage of the wonderful ways it can help you to grow or maintain your business.