Regardless of what the techies and web gurus say, as a small business your website isn’t going to bring you vast hoards of NEW customers, let you compete with the “big boys” in your industries, or make you rich.

It’s just not true.

What your website can and should do, however, is be a wonderful tool to market to your existing customers and hottest prospects.

More and more customers are going to go on-line to find out your store hours, if you’re open on Sunday, if you carry a brand of products they are looking for, what’s new at the store this month, or even what your phone number is!

Every business should have at least a “brochure” type website with 3-7 pages about their business. It’s just good customer service. If you’re not making it easy to shop with you, your customers will eventually go elsewhere.

Ever been to a website that you really enjoyed, found some products or information that you’d really like to know more about, and then couldn’t figure out how to contact the business whose site it is?

ARRggghhh!

Maybe their contact information is on some hidden page, or maybe it’s by the staff biography, or who knows where else. But if it’s not super easy to find, you and I both know what’s going to happen...

Click.

And they’re gone. Off to Google someone else who makes it easier to do business with them.

Have some contact info on every page.

You may not need to have all your contact info on every page, but at least have some basic info on every page – your phone number or your e-mail address.

Including your physical address on every page can make your site feel like it is actually attached to a physical place rather than being an anonymous cyber-creation.

Remember, you’re using this site to market your core business – so flaunt it! And for heaven’s sake, make it easy for your customer to get in touch with you.