Local Businesses

Is Ecommerce for my Small Local Business?
eCommerce is a general term describing the process of trading over the Internet by creating a web site, assembling a product catalogue and credit card processing to enable sales.

Distance is no longer a deciding factor in where your customers live because contacting folks in Maine is as easy and fast as contacting folks in Arizona.

Local businesses can engage in worldwide commerce cheaply and effectively--particularly if they have a niche product. A local retailer can't compete with Wal-Mart on the number of items they sell, but they can make the buying experience more satisfying and personal. Depending on where the local business is located, they may even be able to compete in price. After all, if you can rent retail space for $1 a square foot in a small town in Montana, you can definitely match the prices of a company paying $20 a square foot for retail store space in more metropolitan areas.

The creation and promotion of a web site is the first step in becoming a serious online concern and is now considered a vital part of any company's viability. It doesn't matter what you sell; whether it's tooth brushes, recruitment services or airplanes. The business world of today requires you to have an interactive web representation. Because if you don't, your competitors will.

"I only have a small local market"
It doesn't matter any more. Even if you only service a small, localized market, your online competitors are more than happy to seek out your clients and lure them away by offering better support. A business who markets on the Internet is a 24 hour a day better suits our modern lives. A business with a strong Internet focus requires less employees and can be more competitive in pricing of their products and services.

Do your clients use the Internet? I can guarantee you that if they don't now, they will soon. Consumers are becoming more net-savvy. In the years to come, "mainstream" advertising will increasingly direct people to your company website.

As I mentioned, interactivity and content is the key to creating "brand" loyalty. With the web, you can be the "little guys" in terms of physical resources while being the biggest online presence in your area, and well known via your web site.

Local Searches on the Internet
Local searches on the search engines are growing in popularity. Recently, on a Monday night at 7 pm, the water pipe from the water meter to my house broke. Water was pouring down the street and the break was on my side of the meter. I needed a plumber, fast. I have a phone book, but I went to Google and typed in +plumber +08759 (my zip code). I got back the name, telephone number and website address for four plumbers in my area. I checked out their websites. Based on the information they provided, I made a decision on who to call. My first choice wasn't available immediately, so I called my second choice. He came out and fixed the problem.

It is no longer just "cool" to have an interactive web presence for your local business - it's vital