It can seem counterintuitive to have a website that opens your storefront to the world when you really can only serve a small population in your local area. If you don’t sell online, then do you really need a website to promote your business? In most cases, the answer is yes.

The reason you need a website is going to be different from those who are trying to make a living through online sales to customers around the world, but it doesn’t change the fact that you should have one.

The fact is that over 70% of the adult population accesses the Internet on a regular basis. Computers and the internet have become a part of our daily lives - used for both work and entertainment on a daily basis. 97% of those internet users research online before shopping.

They use it to look up specs on products, see what the latest trends are in fashion and do price and product comparisons. They search for reviews, get suggestions on forums and check for complaints. And most importantly for the small business –they look up where to find what they want close to home.

If you aren’t there, do you think they’re going to do the research to find you?

Not likely. Consumers like things easy. They aren’t going to take the time and exert extra effort.

If you have a website with an effective marketing approach, you can reach customers when they are ready to buy. You can effectively position yourself as the best choice for them to do business with and make the decision easy.

Many small town entrepreneurs think that word of mouth is enough –that if someone lives in town, they’re bound to know about you. That may have been true in some point in the distant past, but it’s certainly not true today.

There are lots of residents who have little idea of the range of businesses that exist in their own community.

For instance, when I first moved to Whitecourt I quickly met a few women in the neighbourhood through my children. When I asked where I could buy clothes in town, they told me that the only choice was to head to the city unless I wanted to buy at Walmart. And the truth is, if I didn’t work for the radio station at the time - I might never have discovered the options in town.

Of course, a web search wouldn’t have helped me or the businesses I’ve since discovered - because none of them have a significant web presence.  Pulling it up under a search for Women’s Clothes Whitecourt, I get a pay per click ad for Coldwater Creek (a great catalog store, but not exactly local) and a listing for a national chain that has a location in Whitecourt about 10 listings in.

Sad really, because getting listed in Google Local is free. If you know what you are doing, you could be listed at the top of the page within three days.

Back to my original point - even if you sell strictly local and live in a small town - there are ways you can use the ‘net to attract new customers and service existing ones online.