Before Social Networking - Be Sure You Have a Website

With all the talk about social media over the past few months, it would be easy to forget the basics. One of the basics in this case is having a web site.

Since I am in the technology marketing business I take a lot for granted. I assumed that "everyone" in business had a website up...even if it was a page that said "under construction."

I was shocked to see an April 2009 survey by The Discover Small Business Watch found 62 percent of small business owners still do not have Web sites for their businesses. That is down from 65 percent in November 2007.

Sixty-two percent is a lot. This number is staggering in the consideration of where we are with the availability of technology. Google is no longer a search engine, but a religion. How easy would it be to type - "I need a web site" info Google or any search engine and get a roughly estimated two-jillion responses? In reading the report from The Discover Small Business Watch I was left shaking my head as to why a small business would not look to leverage the technology of having a web site and the Internet to build sales, increase their visibility and to sync up with their customers.

A web presence is affordable. Everyone does not need a whiz bang Flash or multi-media site. In fact for small businesses we recommend a clean site with the basic links: Home, About Us, Contact Us etc. These types of sites are much easier to optimize for the Search Engines and maintain in-house if the business chooses this route.

The power of the web can be harnessed by small businesses. It would be extremely self-serving to say Sunergeo Creative could build and maintain a web site for a small business that does not have a web site...BUT I am in sales...so call me, John Atterberry at Sunergeo Creative if you do not have a web site or want to improve on your current design. (678) 561-IDEA.

As a small business owner I know how the web can leverage the playing field when competing with larger companies. I also know the positive response when customers and prospects alike see our investment in creating an effective web presence.

We all realize 'everyone' is Twitter-ing and Facebook-ing nowadays, but please remember the basics and get that web site up and running.