Do all small businesses need a Web site?
Essentially, everyone needs a Web presence. Most businesses should have a Web site (see BusinessWeek.com, 4/17/06, “Building Good Web Buzz”), since it is becoming the best source of information about any given company. If you’re marketing nationally it’s essential because it creates a level playing field for your company. If you’re a small-business owner, the Internet is a huge money saver for you. E-mail marketing has one of the best returns on investment (ROI) of any kind of marketing (see BusinessWeek.com, 3/13/06, “Thinking Outside the In-Box”). You can’t engage in e-mail marketing unless you have a great site, because people need a place to go and click through in order to complete their mission of making a purchase. But if you’re a local dry cleaner, then you might not need a Web site. Instead, a good listing on Yahoo! Local might be better, so that when people search online for a local dry cleaner, they get a map of where your business is and the phone number. If you decide you
