Does a small business really need a website?

For many the answer is “yes, of course.”

However, the reality is that 55 percent of small business owners don’t have a website. Yes, over half do not have a site. And of these businesses, 57 percent say they will never have one, according to Discover Small Business Watch, a monthly index measuring the relative economic confidence of US small business owners who have fewer than five employees.

Perhaps those business owners think they can’t set one up on their own or believe it will cost too much to set up a site. Maybe they think the size and nature of their business doesn’t warrant a site.

Whatever the reason may be, without a website a small business is missing out. Well, maybe more than just missing out. For a large number of folks – people who may be potential customers – your business simply won’t exist. If you can’t be ‘Googled,’ you won’t stand a chance of getting their business.

In its most basic form a website will inform potential customers about products/services, and provide information about who to contact. At its best, a website helps a business save time by eliminating the need to repeatedly provide answers to commonly asked customer questions, improve business process and, if appropriate, selling products online. It can also enable a small, local business to extend its reach beyond their specific area.

So if you don’t have a site for your business, maybe it’s time to reconsider.

Tim Holdsworth is a business analyst and writer for AlignTech Solutions. He can be reached at holdswortht@aligntechsolutions.com

Tags: discover, google, planning, productivity, small business, web, website