Back in the day, about the 1990s, web sites were once the domain of high-tech, high expense companies. Especially during the "dot-com" boom, many companies were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on domain names, plus millions of dollars on web site development. They were trying to carve out their own niche in the "new economy."

If you think this is still true, think again. The Web continues to grow and expand exponentially, with new Web addresses being added every day. Because of this, large and small businesses are now playing together on a somewhat level playing field. You can't tell just from the web site how large or small a company is, although some national and international brands still have clout, because of recognition.

If you do it right, your web site should be easy to maintain. It's best to do this right before you start, rather than having to completely revamp your web site once it's up and running; not only is this a headache to have to revamp a functioning web site when you're trying to run a business, but you'll also create a lot of headaches and mess for yourself to clean up that don't have to be. Today, you also don't need top-notch HTML skills or other coding skills to keep abreast of your business and keep your site completely updated. Content management systems like forums and weblogs let you type text just like you would with an e-mail message.

More than ever, a web site gives you both national and international exposure. In effect, it's a brochure or flyer that costs you very little to distribute to interested parties. Unlike print media, you can update it almost instantly, with a touch of a button or click of a mouse. No longer do you need to print out 30,000 of them and mail them out, incurring postage expenses as well as printing expenses in the process, only to have them shortly become obsolete. No, today, it costs you almost nothing to keep your business advertisement -- your web site -- completely updated almost effortlessly.

More than just a substitute for print media, your web site is a place where you can interact with your customers, and you can even create a community with them. Customers who give and receive feedback on your web site are much more likely to refer other customers to your company. They drive business to your web site through word-of-mouth advertising by referring people they know; those people come in, see an active community, and decide that your company and your products are worth investigating.

Your web site can also become an active point of sale, if you have the right set up. Although Amazon.com is the pioneer in web sales, every company can easily handle Web-based transactions. Sometimes the transactions will take more technical know-how than others, but all are relatively simple.

In short, if you're looking to grow your business, you need to let your customers know about your products and about you. Your web site can be the most effective way to reach and grow your customer base, as inexpensively as possible.

About the Author

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