Small business owners are among the group in the community that are slow to adapt web technologies to pursue new market, enhance branding, and serve customers.
I have just stumble on a news piece on USnews.com reporting that, although everyone seems to have some sort of web presence, small business owners are notoriously slow to adapt web technologies – A report by small-business advisory service Warrillow & Co shows that, according to 2008 survey, only 41 percent small business owners have websites.
Let alone entering the Web 2.0 of blogging and social networking, small business owners are still delaying their decision to enter the Web 1.0 of establishing company website to enhance branding and reaching prospects.
Of those 41 percent, only a handful of small business owners who are confident that blogging and social networking can drum-up their business branding and building a community of loyal supporters and customers. Two of the reasons that the skeptical business owners have are lack of credibility and integrity, like what Justin Kenagy, an Atlanta-based co-founder of Onyx Consulting, a computer services firm with 15 employees, says in the news above, “I associated [blogs] with pretentiousness and blowhards.”
Why you should have web presence
Firstly, a website – why you should have a website? One simple answer to sum it all: To increase your business competitiveness.
Secondly, a blog and social networking profiles – Creating a blog can help you significantly in reach and personalisation, while creating accounts with the likes of LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook can help you build communities surrounding your business.
Those who have adapted web technologies the right way are getting more exposure in their branding, more buzz, more prospects and new market. For those who have adapted blogging and social networking into their business strategy, Web 2.0 helps in forming a group of enthusiasts and evangelists that know and trust your products and/or services.
How to have the right web presence
I would like to offer you some tips to help you decide the kind of web presence you need for your business:
- A website is a must – A well-designed and useful website can enhance your business image and marketing campaign considerably.
- Create a blog, or at least hire someone to create it and take you by hands to guide you into blogging.
- Use social networking to manage your business reputation, because, like it or not, you can have a bad reputation online, even if you don’t have any web presences.
- Presenting the right marketing materials online can make your marketing campaign go viral – Buzzes and opinions about your business can be stirred with strong, and often controversial, marketing materials – All with no additional cost.
- Don’t be excessive – Not all web technologies are created equal – Only use those that add value to your business.
Ivan Widjaya
Web presence is key
Image by dalbera.
You can find us on 
Do not copy our content - we are protected by 
The internet is the future of business. It is a need for all businesses big or small to make an online presence. Having your own website can help your business grow.
Definitely! People are using the Internet to do some background checking on the businesses they are going to deal with, and a business website can help them deciding this.
Every business should be on the internet and seriously consider new media options like blogs and twitter, but better to do nothing than put something out there that is not professional or detracts from the brand.
Garrick,
That would be ideal – Going online because it’s hot and trendy these days is the biggest mistake that put many businesses into problems later on. Thanks for your insights.
I am in agreement with your post. Small businesses need an online presence to be competitive. Everyone does all types of searches, research and purchasing online. Not having an online presence, I believe, can hurt a business.
Alicia,
Yes, especially today. We can’t deny the fact that the Internet presents more opportunities than ever. It even proves to be the best source for new leads/clients, and someday will exceed the effectiveness of all other tools and platforms.
This was a great blog, I completely agree with everything you have said. I currently am struggling with this very topic and am up for all suggestions. I am currently posting my business through different search engines and am doing work with http://www.CostaRicaHQ.com/blog. Everything’s going great but it’s always nice to hear new ideas and suggestions.
Hi Meagan,
Very nice work – I have a suggestion though… Perhaps you need to ‘spice up’ your great content with more graphical elements, as effective use of graphics are proven to help people to stay longer on a site, and receive more messages you are trying to send to your readers.
My 2 cents.
Thanks for these tips, I have a small business as well and I never realized the importance of this. I think sometimes we focus too much on one type of marketing and forget that there are so many other tools out there, thanks!
Cheers! :)
I totally agree with this article. I think many people don’t believe a business exists unless they can find a website with Google. The ease that blogs can be created now should mean that no one has an excuse of why they don’t have a business web presence.
FFC,
Indeed – no excuse. It’s free and simple. Even for less than $10/month, you can dramatically improve your business presence and get more clients. How’s that translated in dollar amount? The ROI is unbelievable!
This is true.Nowadays it is important for businesses to be present in the internet to be advertised,to be found means more customers,more business.Moreover,everybody is turning to internet search when looking for anything(services,products,etc.) and regular print phone yellow books become obsolete.
Anyways,how can you hire someone to create and maintain a blog?
Allianz,
Thanks for sharing your insight!
Regarding your question about creating and maintaining a blog, you can do so in webmasters forums. I recommend DigitalPoint.com and WarriorForum.com.