Customers now expect it & think less of businesses that don’t have one!
Any business is now expected to have a website! If you don't, potential customers will certainly wonder why - Is your business old-fashioned? Is it a fly-by-night operation? Does it even still exist? Is it just a tiny operation? Can't you afford a website?

"Over half of UK consumers (53%) would walk away from any business that does not have a website, according to research commissioned by 1&1 Internet, one of Europe's largest web hosting and domain name registration companies.

The survey also found that one in five small businesses still do not recognise the importance consumers place upon a web presence.”    The Birmingham Post - May 09, 2006

A website is always available
With the modest cost of developing a website and making it available on the Internet, there is nothing even close to being as cost effective. In addition, printed materials are easily misplaced. Television and radio commercials air at preset times. A website can be visited at a time that is convenient for the visitor. Business is worldwide but your office hours aren't.  But Web pages serve the client, customer and partner 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No overtime either. It can provide information to match needs and collect important information that will put you ahead of the competition, even before they get into the office.

A website can be easily & quickly updated
Unlike printed materials, which require a separate setup for each change, and then additional printing time, websites can be changed on a minute by minute basis if needed. Plus printed materials can be made available for download on a website but this way the customer pays for printing and the ink!

A website saves on printing & mailing costs
See above.  You can publish a lot of information on a website for the fraction of the cost of advertising or having a leaflet printed.  If you must stick with advertising at least you could save money by having a much smaller ad that leads to your website!  Also by making printed materials available on a website, it benefits both you and your website visitors. They have instant access and do not have to wait for your mail to arrive, and you save on printing and mailing.   You can advertise your products and services without the huge costs, and delays of printing, advertising, publishing and distribution.

A website can help you to expand your Market
Over 150 million people worldwide now surf the internet daily.  It is unlikely that these will all visit your website!  However how many people walked past your business today?  Putting your business online is like putting your shop front on the busiest street in the world.  The more people walking past, the more likely it is that some of them will call in.

Many people use the Internet to find out more information about products or services that they are in need of. Your website is a means of offering information to those who may be researching online before buying or who want to check you out before they commit to buying. If you don’t have a website, how are they going to even get a chance to see what you have to offer? Your website is a live brochure that is available for anyone to see from anywhere, no matter if they are 0.5 miles away or 5,000 miles away.

It can assist potential customers with planning
Perhaps potential customers are moving to the area, coming on holiday, visiting friends or relatives or just passing through on business.  They might want to know about local businesses, amenities and services in advance to make their trip run more smoothly.  A website enables customers to learn of your existence and plan ahead to visit you. 

A website lets people know what you do/sell
You can put a lot of information on your products or services onto your website.  If you keep your website up to date you can help potential customers as they will be able to see in advance whether you can offer what they are looking for. 

A website can be found via search engines & online business directories
This means that you can get visits from people who are actively looking for you, your product, your service, or your information. A website is an extremely cost effective way to advertise to those who are already interested in what you have to offer.

A website offers a contact point & enables customers to send you feedback
These days if people have it in their minds to do something they want to be able to do it straight away.  That’s why email is so popular and it’s so frustrating to hear the continuous ringing of an unanswered phone.  With a Web page, you can let people know your email address or contact details.  You can even ask for feedback and get it instantaneously with no extra cost. An instant e-mail response can be built into Web pages and can get the answer while it’s fresh in your customers mind, without the cost and lack of response of business reply mail.

Having a website offers an opportunity to develop a valuable list of contacts
You can ask your customers and web site visitors to sign up to receive information from you.  You can then target these interested people with special offer or promotions. 

With a website you can offer “web specials” or web-only promotions
On your website you could add discount coupons for potential customers to download and print off which could act as an incentive to attract new customers to you! 

A website can answer frequently asked questions
There are questions that customers and potential customers want to know the answer to before they deal with you, for example, your opening hours, your location, the services you offer.  Post them onto your website and you will have removed another barrier to their doing business with you and it might free up some time if you are not answering phone calls.