Stand out from your competitors

It's 2007. According to latest statistics over 60% of businesses now have a web presence. Like a poorly designed shop display, a business with an outdated or nonexistent website portrays a highly negative and old-fashioned image of the company.

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Millions of people in the UK now used online directories (such as www.yell.com or www.thomsonlocal.com) as their first port of call when searching for a product or service. With so many companies to choose from, most will choose those who have websites, as it gives them the chance to instantly find out more information on that company, rather than merely hear a voice on the end of the phone.

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Advertise your business

Imagine having a huge shop window, open to passers-by 24 hours a day, from all over the world. Imagine a brochure full of all your goods and services, where potential customers can browse your wares at their leisure, anytime, from anywhere. That's your website.

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Imagine trying to expose your products to the same audience via television and radio advertising, print media, direct mail or telemarketing. Now think of the cost. Website overheads operate at a fraction of the price of traditional media, making them by far the more cost-effective choice.

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Make changes quickly

If your business model, company branding or any other situations change, traditional forms of advertising and publication are costly and time-consuming to alter. Your website can be adapted instantly, with no expensive reprinting costs or recalls.

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Your customers can be kept up to date second by second, as you reveal new lines, seasonal special offers and breaking news at the touch of a button. And with a built-in RSS news feed, your customers can have all your latest announcements send directly to them automatically.

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Build trust with your customers

Having a website gives your company the chance to present its human face, giving customers a bit of background and extra information not normally found on the high street. Everybody prefers to do business with a company they can see and know a little about, as opposed to simply a telephone number, address or call centre worker.

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Enhance your customer service

Give your customers all the information they need, presenting a more helpful image. Opening hours, store location, parking, driving directions and special offers will all help to improve the customer experience.

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Today's marketplace is flooded with options for the consumer, resulting in much less brand loyalty than in years gone by. If you are closed and customers have no way to reach you, they may simply look elsewhere.

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Your website gives you the unique chance to offer a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year out-of-hours service, without you having to put in any extra hours. With the busier lifestyle of today's average consumer, the man or woman in the street expects to be able to get the information and services they need outside the traditional nine-to-five window.