Tag Archives: Internet

Small Business Websites Need to Evolve

People used to turn to local resources when marketing a small local business. There wasn’t really much point in trying to reach customers that were outside of the local area. But the Internet changed all of that. Now we find that people have completely changed their attitude toward commerce. The word eCommerce was coined to distinguish between online and offline marketing. But that word stands for more than just a change in the marketing medium; it also signifies a whole new dynamic for dealing with customers.

We have had the Internet revolution and it has completely transformed our lives. We have started to take it for granted. So much so that it is easy to forget how much it has impacted our lives. Yet in eCommerce, the impact has been significant enough to actually send some otherwise healthy businesses to the wall. And all because consumers have changed their approach to shopping.

What Role Does the Small Business Website Have?

When businesses first started promoting themselves on the Web, their websites were nothing more than flashy digital brochures. But that kind of site doesn’t hold much interest for the online visitor anymore. The primary reason that people are on the internet is to find information. They are not likely to be wowed by glitz unless the site is very entertaining. What people are looking for is relevant information that is pertinent to whatever they searched for. And that’s what the search engines will dig up for them.

The Changing Face of the Business Website

It isn’t enough anymore for a small business to tell people who they are and what they do. The Internet was never designed as a sales platform to showcase businesses. It was, and still is, about the free exchange of information. So when people come to a small business website, they are usually looking for information. The successful small business is the one that provides that information.

Now it might seem counter-intuitive to suggest that giving away information freely is good for business but that is the fact of the matter. Businesses build trust in their customer base by providing what they want. The business that engages with its customers is the one that they turn to when they are ready to buy.

As small business owners we need to be aware of the changing face of consumerism. We need to find ways to engage and interact with visitors to our websites.