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Why does your business need a website?



Why does your business need a website?

A business that does not have a website in today's online world is going to find itself falling far behind its competitors. There are few businesses left where this is not so. With the growth in broadband and more Americans online than every before, an Internet presence is no longer an option, it's a necessity for continued growth of a business. A customer who finds you on the Internet and purchases from your business can mean your website pays for itself. If you also provide a good online experience for a user with a well-designed website and good customer service, your business grows as a result.

Consider also that people often move from one area of the country to another... for jobs, to be near family, and for many other reasons. The first place they look for realtors, neighborhood advice, school system ratings, and other useful information and businesses in the new locale is on the Internet. There is no question that an online presence has substantial influence on the success of a business. The key is to have a website that really works for your business.

If your business already has a website, is it working for you? Is it updated regularly, are visitors able to find what they want, do you lose a lot of visitors without them ever contacting you? In other words, does your website market your business, or merely make sure you have a website?


Internet usage, e-commerce and your business

If your business is in the retail sector, you might be interested in the following:

A Nielsen Online report stated that "...the Web plays an increasingly integral role in retail for brick and mortar retailers, even among purchases that occur in-store. A Nielsen survey in May 2008 found that among a representative group of people who had recently made consumer electronics purchases in a brick and mortar store, 80 percent bought from a store whose Web site they visited first. Further, 53 percent purchased from the retailer on whose Web site they had spent the most time." (Neilson Online, July 22, 2008)


In general, more people turn to the internet (at home, work, libraries or other places) than any other source of information and support, including experts and family members.    —Pew Internet and American Life Project (December 30, 2007)


Internet usage, e-commerce and your business

If your business is in the retail sector, you might be interested in the following:

A Nielsen Online report stated that "...the Web plays an increasingly integral role in retail for brick and mortar retailers, even among purchases that occur in-store. A Nielsen survey in May 2008 found that among a representative group of people who had recently made consumer electronics purchases in a brick and mortar store, 80 percent bought from a store whose Web site they visited first. Further, 53 percent purchased from the retailer on whose Web site they had spent the most time." (Neilson Online, July 22, 2008)



Quarterly Retail E-commerce Sales for the 2nd quarter of 2008 adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, was $34.6 billion, up from $29.3 billion in the 4th quarter of 2006.

(This is well up from the seasonal sales from the 4th quarter of 2004, which we noted at the time was $18.4 billion.... Total e-commerce sales for 2004 were estimated at $69.2 billion. )

Total e-commerce sales for 2008 were estimated at $133.6 billion, an increase of 4.6 percent (±1.8%) from 2007. — United States Department of Commerce News; February 17, 2009



It's clear that any retailer who does not maintain a presence online is going to end up losing out to those who do. As a side note, the estimate for 4th quarter sales in 1999, the first time it was estimated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, was about $6.2 billion.