Do You Take Advantage of the Web?

I recently had the opportunity to chat with some business owners in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area where Solid Cactus is headquartered. Now, to set the record straight, this area is not the technology center of the universe! I’ve been known to mutter “cable television is considered high tech around here” and it isn’t far from the truth. Sure we have our share of tech companies, but the bottom line is, we are an area made up of distribution centers, manufacturing and more chain restaurants than Alka Seltzer tablets. So it wasn’t much of a surprise that the majority of these businesses don’t have an online presence or even care to talk about setting one up.

Talk about foolish.

I can sum up this post in a few simple words - “If you’re a business, you need to be online.” I think I shocked some of these business owners when I told them they pay more for an ad in the phone book each month then they would with a website, plus the number of people they would expose to their business would increase exponentially.

Whether I’m working here in Shavertown or at home in Palm Beach, when I’m looking for a place to go for dinner I hit Google. When I’m looking for a place to replace my smashed windshield, I hit Google. When I’m looking for a community dog park to take the Chihuahua’s out for some fresh air, I hit Google. And guess what…. I’m not clicking on your business if you’re not online.

It doesn’t matter if you sell product or not, the Internet isn’t just a place to make a purchase or download pirated software! It’s a place where people go to look for information on a variety of subjects and interests. Getting your business online isn’t as difficult and expensive as you may be led to believe. Again, chances are you are paying more for an ad in the phone book than you would with a simple informational site online.

Webhosting prices have gone down significantly over the years and you can grab an account for less than the price of lunch at McDonald’s. Simple informational sites don’t require complex programming or intense graphic design which means your one-time design and programming fee is relatively low. The return on investment comes quickly as people start entering your establishment saying they found you online. You don’t need to be a technological genius to maintain your website either. Today’s back-end platforms are easy to use and most are as simple as filling in a form and hitting the “publish” button.

Informational sites are for everyone. Bars, hotels, restaurants, real estate agents, political candidates, law offices, health care professionals, photographers, and so on. I was having a bite to eat the other day and I overheard Donna Talarico, one of our account managers, talking about how her dentist just sent her a text message reminding her about her upcoming appointment. Clearly that doctor gets the power of the Internet.

So, if you still think cable television is high tech I don’t think I can change your mind about getting your business a website. But, if you’re ready to harness the power of the Internet and get your business online, we’re only a phone call away!