Ever wondered what difference a website can make to your local business? This is a story Patrick Neeman told about two business owners he knew personally. One friend thought his local business was okay without it, while the other followed the path online.
Neeman said to his first friend, “Why don’t you have a small website for your business?” This friend runs a small business where his clients spend their money with him on a discretionary basis — that is, it’s for entertainment purposes. They have to physically visit his business location to use his services, and even though he could sell merchandise online, it makes no sense because most vendors could beat his prices.
“Looking around his office, he had some computer from the prehistoric era that had dial-up and nothing else. He would never, never really embrace the web like he needs to generate business from it,” said Neeman.
The other friend, Bob The Chiropractor, just started his business recently in spite of the recession. He runs a chiropractic business, but Neeman met him previously at a marketing company and said, “He’s really a businessman that happens to be a chiropractor, instead of the other way around.”
Because of the nature of his business, the customers also have to come in to use his services and it’s extremely local. Bob’s really embraced the web, and it shows. In fact, Neeman doesn’t even list the URL – he invites you to type in “Bob The Chiropractor” at Google.
How well is he doing?
He’s doubling the size of his office because he’s overbooked. End of story.
Neeman writes, “Not everyone should get a website, because like any marketing activity, to do it truly well you have to embrace it, and it does take some extra effort. But if you put in that effort and do it right, the rewards can be tremendous.”
View the full article to find out How to Make the Web Work for Your Business in 5 Steps.