if you're in business, you need a website!

I can give you all kinds of reasons, cite evidence supporting the facts, but for most people the internet's the first place they go looking for information.
Many local businesses have the same customers coming in daily to purchase items or services. Some of those local businesses are making a successful living, but they could be doing better. There may be one thing missing from those businesses that could take them to another level, a great website. If your business had a website you could be reaching a much wider audience. Anyone searching online, (and who doesn't do that these days) looking for information would be able to access that information, as well as info on how to contact you, your location etc. A website allows you to showcase your business and could bring in more revenue.

does your business need a website?

In today's world of course you do… period, no question about it.
I'm not saying you should put all your efforts into selling your products or services over the Internet, though if your product or service lends itself to easy online sales, you should certainly consider it. The point is you should, at the very least, have a Web presence. This would enable your customers, potential employees, business partners and, perhaps, even investors to quickly find out more about your business and the products or services you have to offer.

That said, it's not enough that you just have a Website. You must have a professional-looking site if you want to be taken seriously.

Since many consumers now search for information online prior to making a purchase at a bricks-and-mortar store, your site may be the first chance you have at making a good impression on a potential customer. If your site looks like it was designed by a barrel of monkeys, your chance at making a good first impression will be lost.

a website adds value to your business

Having a website allows you to reach a wider audience.
Your products and services would be available to anyone with internet access. Quite simply, this makes you more visible in the market place.

Professionalism: When you have a domain name such as yourbusiness.com, then you're giving you're business that professional image. More than likely, your already sending information through an e-mail. You might be using a personal address for this, and this could be considered unprofessional. After purchasing a domain name you could use a email address with (ie. john@yourbusiness.com).

Questions: Do you come across customers that ask the same questions over and over again? If so, then you could have an online Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. This would reduce the amount of repetitive questions that you get on a daily basis.

Marketing Cost: Does your business spend most of its money trying to sell your services? You are probably spending lots of cash on mailouts, brochures, fliers, etc. If your business had a website online, you would be able to publish those things instantly worldwide to your target audience.

New Employees: Job seekers go online to find jobs all the time. You can easily post job opportunities online to get your business out there and find an employee from outside your local source.