Your .com is as crucial as a phone number on your business card

By Sanjay Bhatia If you’re old enough, you might remember the time when finding a phone number for any business or service meant thumbing through the three-inch thick ‘Yellow pages’ that came with the telephone directory. That was a time when a phone number had started to become an important component of any business set-up. Today, mobile phones are ubiquitous. Every small business right from the local chai wala to a florist to a local grocer has a phone number. But what has changed is how people look for a phone number. The bulky directories are now defunct. Now, if people need to look for your business, they will look for you online! For many people today, the Internet is the first stop when it comes to looking for information about businesses and products. Your customers go online not just to look for your number or address but also to know more about your products, read reviews, compare your offerings with those of your competitors and maybe even to make a purchase. So, if you are still on the fence about whether your business needs a website, here are four great reasons for you. To be found If your customers are looking to get in touch, your website is where they’re likely to get the most updated and relevant information. And while they’re there, you can use the opportunity to tell them about your exciting new offerings that they absolutely must check out. A directory listing that plainly lists you along with a bunch of your competitors is simply not good enough! To build credibility Often, when customers browse online, they are not just looking for information, but also for credibility. And nothing conveys credibility better than a well –designed and informative website. To get more customers and grow your business When customers search for your business using relevant keywords such as ‘florist in Bangalore’ or ‘Thai restaurant in Navi Mumbai’ the first few search results are always websites of relevant businesses, not general listings.  So, you need a website if you want prospective customers to know more about you. A website is your most important marketing tool. Gain competitive advantage If your competitors have their own websites, then you better have one too! It’s as simple as that. Today, more than ever, consumers are looking to connect with companies through the online medium. Choosing to have an online presence shows you are open for business. It really is that important! The author is  the President of FICCI-CMSME.