A website is essential these days to give customers easy access to your business and your product, but how can entrepreneurs avoid either over or under 'e-commercing' their business?
Marc Barber, editor smallbusiness.co.uk
No one likes a pushy salesman. A sharp suit, overly gelled hair and a talent for small talk are of little use if a person has no interest in buying that double-glazing or changing a utility supplier.
This is equally true online. Randomly and repeatedly firing emails to market your business will do more harm than good. You'll find your messages in the trash with offers of Viagra, Russian brides and those "once-in-a- lifetime", money-spinning opportunities that are yours for the taking if you just hand over all your financial details.
While too much can be made of web analytics, there's no doubt that you should take time to study traffic to your site. Sit down and work out the following (use sites like Alexa.com and Google Analytics):
- What text links are getting the most hits?
- How can you keep the site fresh and interesting?
- What searches and key words are popular?
Could special offers and incentives be used to try and increase sales? (check out online retailer Asos.com to see a well put together website)
Use that customer information before launching e-newsletters, alerts and marketing campaigns. Think about who you're targeting among your customer base and tailor what you send out accordingly (in the same way that a direct mail campaign, if it's to be effective, should be focused).
The flip side is to not have a website or to have a page that only says what you do and where you're based (normally referred to as a "brochure website"). The vast majority of small businesses fall into the latter category, failing to see how additional revenue can be generated by taking a few simple steps.
With online shoppers predicted to spend £13.1 billion in the final quarter of 2008, that could be a costly oversight.
John Wright, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses
A well-advertised small business with an eye-catching, easy to access website, can certainly increase your sales. In a recent survey of members of the Federation of Small Businesses, nearly half of respondents said small businesses that used the internet to advertise their firm increased their turnover by one fifth. E-commerce opens up host of opportunities and new markets, and using a website to advertise your firm is cheaper than traditional methods – something important to remember during an economic downturn.
Use your contacts with other small firms that are online and get links to your website on theirs – if you aren't advertising your website, customers will not know it is there. If it's a new business, consider a sponsored advertising campaign (pay-per-click) to drive buying traffic to your site from day one.
Update your site regularly, keeping content fresh. This will keep existing customers interested in coming back to it, and to bring in new customers. Makes sure your site is also checked for 'search engine optimisation' – using key words that push your site up the search engine rankings.
If you're not an Amazon or an eBay, over-advertising can leave you with too many orders that you just don't have the time to deal with, or it can leave you dispatching items late. Customer service still has to be a priority even though you aren't physically dealing with a person. If you aren't on top of your orders then you could lose valuable customers.
James Cope, e-commerce adviser for Business Link
During the credit crunch, businesses should be looking at different ways to reach new customers and increase their profits. A website, for most businesses, is a simple and cost effective marketing tool to raise their profile and give their clients access to all the information they need to convert interest into a decision to purchase. A relatively small amount spent on a website can dramatically improve your image, whether you are one person working from the kitchen table or a multinational business with a multitude of staff.
However, as with everything else, businesses need to make sure that their website investment is effective for them in business terms. Businesses thinking about improving their website should:
- Check what type of website competitors have
- Discuss current and future needs with an adviser
- Take advice from a range of website development agencies
To encourage repeat browsing, your website needs to appear familiar, but its design and branding should also set it aside from your competitors. It's very easy to get carried away with adding features such as flash presentations but keep in mind what your customers expect and which facilities your competitors offer.
The Business Link website includes the interactive tool, "Get the right website for your business", available at businesslink.gov.uk/website. The tool offers practical advice to save businesses both time and money and you might then benefit from impartial advice from your local Business Link Adviser by calling 0845 600 9 006.
James Cope is director of a business in the care industry and has worked within SMEs for a number of years. He has spent over eight years providing Ebusiness & ICT advice to SMEs with Business Link and has background in online business strategies, including website development, search engine optimization, E-marketing and pay per click strategies.
