Why Have a Website? Not being on the Web is like not having a fax machine: people think you are a fly-by-night. -Jakob Nielsen

Why Your Business Needs to be Online

• It is a bargain

Dollar for dollar, the Internet is by far the most cost-effective medium to use to promote your business. We have clients who are generating sales of 4 and 5 figures on the Internet each and every month based on  an initial investment that was less than the cost of a single newspaper or radio ad campaign.  This is happening all over the world, every day, for countless small businesses. It is not happening for people who aren't willing to take the Internet seriously.  This does not require a degree in computer science nor a million-dollar bankroll.  What it does require is working with the right professionals who can help you make intelligent choices.

The U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that U.S. retail e-commerce sales for second quarter last year was $5.52 billion, and it has been growing ever since.

• It is almost a necessity today

A recent study showed that people under the age of 40 routinely use the Internet to find businesses the way people at one time used the Yellow Pages and newspaper ads.  If you are not on the Internet, you may as well not exist for an increasing segment of the population.  Keep in mind, too, that these younger consumers are computer savvy.  Seen through their eyes, a bad website can turn your business into a laughing stock.  You don't have any way to know that, because you will never hear from them.  I repeat: you will never hear from them.

About 144 million people - 52% of the U.S. population - have home access to the Internet

• The timing is right

As with any new technology, a huge fanfare developed around the Internet.  Many jumped in and made or lost fortunes.  Now that the dot-com frenzy has passed and the dust is settling, you have a better opportunity than ever.  This is the perfect time to settle down and use the Internet in a common sense way to support real-world business goals.  Through the whole roller-coaster ride of the dot-com boom and bust, Black Twig remained among a relative handful of firms that have "stayed the course," maintaining quality and integrity and producing genuine value for our clients.  As the fly-by-night operators leave the Internet, the field is wide open.  It is becoming easier for legitimate businesses to get search engine results; the spam that has clogged up the Internet is being successfully eliminated; the public has become more aware and appreciative of honest businesses on the web.

27% of Internet users shop online at least once a month in the United States

next: why you need a plan