The debate has been ongoing for the past several years as to whether a business can survive without an online presence. Groups on both sides of the fence continue to present argument after argument as to why their point of view is the most correct. Those who claim that an online presence is not required continue to say that many if not most businesses could thrive without such. At the same time, those who promote online activities continue to espouse the many virtues of the internet and what it has to offer. So the big question remains – can your business survive without an online presence?
To answer this we must ask a series of questions aimed toward helping to identify traits that would make it more or less likely to require being online.
How large is your customer base? Businesses with a moderate to large customer base can definitely benefit from an online presence in several ways. Having a well-built website that customers or clients can go to for information, to do business online, or to contact you can help a great deal. Also, connecting with your clients through social networking can help you keep them informed and can help to build a tighter bond with loyal customers as well.
What sort of products and/or services do you offer? It is hard to list any professions that might offer a product or service that couldn’t benefit from being online. Try searching for one single business that you might not think would be online, and it is a good bet you will find it there.
If you are a local business, what is your competition doing? Whether you are a local hair salon or body shop you might just find that having a mobile friendly site can make the difference when a potential customer is choosing between you and your competitor. Whether you offer discounts through Facebook, Twitter or even just on your webpage you can help draw that extra attention to your business and away from your competitor who isn’t online.
In today’s digital world it is hard to argue that you don’t need an online presence. The lack of one is what has helped to keep many potentially great businesses from really taking off. The trouble for some business owners is that they lack the knowhow to get things off the ground. By implementing a social media strategy or even just optimizing a website properly these business owners will find that finding hard one customers much easier to reach in the long run.