Feb 10, 2012

Ecommerce Is Essential

[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignright" width="425" caption="Ecommerce Is Essential"]

[/caption] Do you have an ecommerce site? We hear the following responses from business owners all the time: 1. No, I do not have a website. 2. Yes, I have a website, but it isn’t good. 3. Yes, I have a website, but it needs to be updated. In all three cases above, immediate changes and help must be instituted for the small-business owner. A fourth answer, “Yes, we have a website, and it drives significant business to us,” is the only appropriate answer in today’s environment. Ecommerce is growing as a percentage of sales, and it will only keep growing. It is crucial for business owners to effectively utilize the internet and the tools it provides to help them grow their business revenues by 25 percent. The power of the internet enables a business owner to increase his business’s presence in communities and geographies that were unattainable before. Business today is local. You cannot be in business today without an internet billboard or brochure (aka a functioning website). Website plans are available today for little to no cost. Organic search, which is a search that generates results that were not paid advertisements, is an essential for any business, whether it’s a shoe shop, dry-cleaning outfit, or law office. The Small Business Authority insists that a functioning website that takes payments, allows for search, and tells a complete story about your business is vital and is the best ROI for a small business today. Many will say, so what’s new about this? Please see our survey, in which more than 50 percent of our respondents said they had no website and were unhappy with their web presence. In addition, more than 75 percent said that they did not accept payments on their websites. Just view us as your trusted advisor who will continue to nag you about suiting up for business every day with the best tools. If you don't accept business online, it’s time to start. If you already do, it’s time to maximize your potential revenue! This article originally appeared on Forbes.com.