WebsiteShopping.in

04/07/2014

04/07/2014

1) Why do Local Businesses need a Website??

Though you are running a local business and you might think that you target customer area is limited and you can do without a website, think twice… because times are changing rapidly! You need a website because your market demands it. Customers routinely use the Internet to make their first search in the marketplace before purchasing a product and service. Other important reasons include the opportunity to deliver products to a wider market than your local base and to compete more effectively.

2) Move with the times else…

Every business needs customers to grow. In last decade there is drastic change in the way people shop. This change is due to rapidly changing technology. Internet has made significant level information available, Naturally customers expect any information to be available readily. Now-a days customers often research companies and product options online, but in most cases, local businesses and chain stores offer the most efficient path to immediate gratification because they have inventory on hand for same-day purchase. By providing a website, a business can offer the convenience of instant information and still fulfill demand for product quickly.

3) Your Customer may be searching you at night….

By providing a website to your customers, you give 24/7 access to information about your business, services and products. Your business may close its shutters overnight, but your website is busy marketing your services and products to prospects and existing customers. It may show up in search results conducted by people during the late night or early morning hours when your shop is closed. These people may visit your shop very next day!

4) Who doesn’t want loyal customers and repeat business…?

Having a website also allows your local business to sell more often to existing customers and reach additional customers. If you offer products and services for sale on your website, you give your customers a chance to buy on their own time and on their own terms. You can improve customer retention by offering personalized accounts that include customer profiles, transaction histories and product recommendations. By analyzing this data you can be very sure of what products are in demand and what products need to be added to your shelves. Plus, your local business may have the chance to become a state, regional, national or even global business if you are willing to ship products to customers outside the local market.

5) Can you afford to lose business to competition?

It is not necessary or even wise to do what your competitors are doing. However, one important reason you need a website is to stay on par competitively. Since many customers rely on search engines to find products or services, you need a website to have a chance to show up among their search results. If you don’t have a website, you give your competitors the advantage of drawing new business from new customers who might have preferred your products and services had you publicized them better.

01/07/2014

Let’s Talk Mobile Web Design and Browsing

In recent years, the internet has experienced a drastic rise in mobile website traffic. According to research firm Gartner, browser-equipped phones will outnumber traditional computers at some point during the year 2013. And although cellphones are yet to be users primary browsing device, Gartner projects users to make that transition by 2015.

This transition has propelled most companies in-the-know, to build versions of their website dedicated to mobile devices. The internet provides users with plenty of options, and website visitors now expect a positive experience. Oftentimes, elements of a desktop website are misaligned, unavailable, or are simply too small when browsed on a mobile device. This is not a knock on the original design, but visitors quickly translate this poor user experience with a company’s website. And thus the level of service or product-satisfaction they expect to receive.

Why Responsive Web Design?

With an ever-growing number and types of web-enabled devices, web designers must ensure an optimal user experience. Essentially there are two approaches for solving the multiple-devices dilemma.

The traditional method was to create multiple versions of a website, and then serve the appropriate versions based on the type of device being used by the visitor. This approach is relatively simple, as each version of the website exists independently of the others. Due to this separation, changes can be made to each version without affecting the others. However, this freedom comes at a fairly high price. First, designers have to design and build each version of the website. This isn’t just time-consuming for designers, but more expensive for clients. Additionally, as the number and types of devices continues to grow, it is becoming exceedingly difficult to address each one appropriately.

The new and improved approach to tackling the multiple-devices issue is responsive web design. When you boil down the differences between each web-enabled device, the most significant is screen resolution. This method allows for one website to, literally, transform itself based on the device on which it is being rendered.

01/07/2014

Why you need a Website???

Question: My business is very small, just me and two employees, and our product really can't be sold online. Do I really need a website?

Answer: That's a good question. In fact, it's one of the most important and most frequently asked questions of the digital business age. Before I answer, however, let's flash back to the very first time I was asked this question. It was circa 1998, during the toddler years of the internet.
I was giving a speech on the impact of the internet on small business at an association luncheon in Montgomery, Alabama. Back in 1998, which was decades ago in internet years, the future of e-commerce was anybody's guess, but even the most negative futurists agreed that all the signs indicated that a large portion of future business revenues would be derived from online transactions or from offline transactions that were the result of online marketing efforts.
So should your business have a website, even if your business is small and sells products or services you don't think can be sold online? My answer in 1998 is the same as my answer today: Yes, if you have a business, you should have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt.
Also, don't be so quick to dismiss your product as one that can't be sold online. Nowadays, there's very little that can't be sold over the internet. More than 20 million shoppers are now online, purchasing everything from books to computers to cars to real estate to jet airplanes to natural gas to you name it. If you can imagine it, someone will figure out how to sell it online.
Let me clarify one point: I'm not saying you should put all your efforts into selling your wares over the internet, though if your product lends itself to easy online sales, you should certainly be considering it. The point to be made here is that you should at the very least have a presence on the web so that customers, potential employees, business partners and perhaps even investors can quickly and easily find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer.
That said, it's not enough that you just have a website. You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously. Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a brick-and-mortar store, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential buyer. If your site looks like it was designed by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.
One of the great things about the internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to competing with the big boys. As mentioned, you have one shot at making a good first impression. With a well-designed site, your little operation can project the image and professionalism of a much larger company. The inverse is also true. I've seen many big company websites that were so badly designed and hard to navigate that they completely lacked professionalism and credibility. Good for you, too bad for them.
You also mention that yours is a small operation, but when it comes to benefiting from a website, size does not matter. I don't care if you're a one-man show or a 10,000-employee corporate giant; if you don't have a website, you're losing business to other companies that do.
Here's the exception to my rule: It's actually better to have no website at all than to have one that makes your business look bad. Your site speaks volumes about your business. It either says, "Hey, look, we take our business so seriously that we have created this wonderful site for our customers!" or it screams, "Hey, look, I let my 10-year-old nephew design my site. Good luck finding anything!"
Your website is an important part of your business. Make sure you treat it as such.