You have heard the news and seen the stories. The Web is the future, and the future is now. So you start thinking, "Maybe I should build a web site." Here are six good reasons why you should.

Increase Sales

At a minimum, a web site makes it easy for you to showcase your goods and services which will generate more business leads from potential customers and cause your present customers to buy more. Now that secure online payment is a reality, a company or organization can complete point-to-point sales transactions from seller to buyer, eliminating costly distributor expenses. Moreover, with the advances in shopping cart software, a fully enabled e-commerce web site has never been easier to set up and maintain. In no time, you can create a virtual storefront or office that can be open twenty-four hours a day, all year long.

Increase Communication

A key advantage of the Web is that it allows for the instant distribution of information. People from all over the world use the Internet on a daily basis to search for various products and services. Using web sites to distribute information in a timely manner is a key reason sales organizations are building web sites. Visitors can easily find the information they are looking for, whether it is product specifications or availability and pricing. Altering the information contained within a web site makes more financial sense than phoning, faxing, or mailing your customers every time new information regarding products or services is released.

Reduce Expenses

Although a web site could be simply an online brochure, delivery of similar information, immediately and internationally over the Web decreases distribution expenses of related printed material. To reduce faxing and mailing costs, automated mailing lists can send the same e-mail message to 100 customers for nearly the same cost as sending one. E-mail is cheaper than courier services, postal mail, faxes or phone calls and faster than most. If you have suppliers on the Internet you may also be able to do your purchasing cheaper and easier.

Reduce Service Costs

Customer service support phone lines are expensive to maintain. Moving customer service to the web site could save a bundle. Your web site will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for service and support. The service area of your web site can be as simple as a dedicated e-mail box and published answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), or as sophisticated as an interactive, online chat feature where your qualified service staff respond directly to customers in real time discussions. The ability to have service and product updates, provided on a web site, adds value to a company's service, as well as additional visibility to their customers.

Increase Marketing

A web site creates opportunities for additional marketing and joint marketing with other organizations. There is no greater image builder for a company than a compelling and informative web site that can be seen all over the world. Your organization will be placed into dozens of online directories and search facilities, increasing your visibility and creating new markets by opening additional advertising channels.

Create a Network

A web site gives you the ability to do surveys, qualification cards, and subscriptions. It can be a cost-effective way to qualify potential customers and get valuable feedback from existing ones. It can also be used to experiment with ideas by highlighting a product prototype online and sampling visitor opinions.