A web site has become like a phone – it is a given – so is it really necessary for me to have reasons for having one here? In one sense, no. But in another, and because the Internet has grown over the years, having a web site is even more important now! Your web site is the first place many people will go to find out more about you or your organization.
Reading my ten original reasons for having a web site, I see that they are all still pertinent and so they remain here, at the very least as reminders. In addition, I have added three significant figures that validate what most of us already know: web sites play a major role in determining whether someone ultimately transacts with you or your company.
3 Significant Figures
43% of all retail sales are expected to be influenced by or made on the Internet by 2012. (Forrester:”The Web’s Impact on In-Store Sales: US Cross-Channel Sales Forecast, 2006 to 2012″ and U.S. Department of Commerce.)
83% of businesses use the Internet to research and find potential vendors. (Enquiro: “Business to Business Survey 2007)
73% of web users admit making judgments about the credibility of an organization based on the design of its web site. (Fogg, B.J. Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility. Persuasive Technology Lab. Standford University, 2002 (revised November 2003))
10 Original Reasons
Generate greater awareness about you or your organization.
Improve your image.
Build your brand name.
Provide an easy way to contact you.
Test ideas.
Increase sales of your products or services.
Answer frequently asked questions.
Provide 24/7 hour service.
Save printing costs. Information is easily up datable and changeable on the Web.
Share information non-invasively; be in front of people without pressure.
