Google the words "business internet website." You’ll get 78 million responses. I read the first 20 or so which was all I really had patience for. There were sites that looked like late night infomercials, a site claiming you can create a $19.95 professional website and bring your business online, now. Search for almost any product or service and thousands of hits will appear. With the din of business on the Internet, why sell online and put your product or service in competition with thousands of other people who put their advertisements just a click away?

A Flaw in Thinking

I’ve seen a flaw in Internet business thinking as of late. When people talk to me about “Internet Business” they tend to think of finding new customers in Madagascar that are thrilled to buy a new shiny gizmo. Or they imagine services that provide football or basketball scores for a low monthly price. What they don’t think about is how they could sell more shoes online from their single small boutique shoe store, or raise more money for their non-profit by shooting a YouTube video.

The Beauty of Content

When someone reads a marketing piece you have maybe 20 or 30 seconds to grab their attention. However, people will spend 20 or 30 minutes reading blog articles…well, like this one! The content is intriguing and engaging because it’s real: real people talking about real stories. So if you have a product that your customers like buying, such as furniture, have your delivery guys take a picture and then when they get back to the store post it on the website. Make sure your customers get the link that they can then send to all their friends, who can comment on them! Soon, their friends will be coming in to make their house look just as good. (I grew up in a family owned furniture business, so everything for me comes back to furniture.)

Why People Look Online

People research online to see and learn about the product or service they’ll be buying. 85% of people in the U.S. say they research any purchase over $300.00 online first. They go to experience your business, and what it will do for them. If your website is a brochure, it will get about the same amount of time and be as effective as a printed brochure. If it creates an engaging experience that lets them better understand what being your customer is like, then they’ll spend time on your site imagining what it would be like to be your customer. Isn’t that what you’d really like your website to do?

Business Websites Have to Make Money

Business websites have to make money. They have to pull their weight. They have to engage your customers and help them understand that your product or service is the one that best fits their needs. A big chunk of your customers, when they walk in your front door, already have done found your website. If it engaged them, and they read customer reviews and found the product they want to buy already on your site instead of your competition's, how much more of an advantage do you have?

- Todd Edman, Owner and CEO