| Websites have now become a necessary | | | | Ask them questions about your service, what |
| expense for a business if they want to give | | | | new kinds of products or services they would like |
| themselves credibility. What most business | | | | to see, and other specific questions relating to |
| owners miss out on however is that they don't | | | | your industry. |
| really know just what their web site can do for | | | | 5) Customer Service - Your website can provide |
| them because they usually have one because | | | | answers to frequently asked questions, provide |
| everyone else has one. If the goal is to just keep | | | | valuable PDFs to educate your clients and |
| up with the Joneses, then as a business owner, | | | | customers as well as making it easy for them to |
| you are potentially leaving money on the table | | | | communicate with you. You can set up your |
| because you are not making the best use of your | | | | communication system so that you can easily |
| web presence. To make the best use of your | | | | outsource that part of your business so you will |
| web presence, you will want to understand the 7 | | | | be able to serve your customers more |
| roles your web site can have in your business. | | | | effectively. |
| 1) Sales - Your website can be your automated | | | | 6) Collaboration - You can use your website to |
| sales person. It can perform the e-commerce | | | | manage projects, share information and |
| duties of collecting payments, depositing the | | | | synchronize the schedules of any key players |
| money into your bank account and automated | | | | involved. |
| customer follow-up. | | | | 7) Networking - You can use your website to be |
| 2) Marketing - Your web presence can keep your | | | | the hub of communication for your target market. |
| business in front of your target market and it can | | | | When you own the hub of communication, you |
| also keep your business message fresh in the | | | | own the conversation. Becoming the focal point of |
| minds of your target audience as well. It can also | | | | discussions related to your niche will also improve |
| keep your target market abreast of the new | | | | your effectiveness in branding yourself to your |
| products and services you are offering. | | | | target market. |
| 3) Branding - You can use your web presence to | | | | Your website can play some very crucial roles in |
| display your expertise of your particular niche. | | | | supporting your business to be as profitable is it |
| This is where you can set yourself apart from | | | | can be. When you create your website, or |
| the competition. Your target audience will begin to | | | | redesign it, think about how you can incorporate |
| get an idea of what it would be like to do | | | | as many of these roles as possible in your design |
| business with you. | | | | and strategy. The more roles you can |
| 4) Market Research - You can get valuable | | | | incorporate, the more value your web site adds |
| market data from your target audience if you | | | | to your business, and the more income you can |
| encourage your visitors to give you feedback. | | | | make through your website. |