It wasn’t that long ago that a website was just one in a list of options that business owners would look at when it came to advertising and promoting their businesses. Now it needs to be the very first option before any other choices are even considered. At one time, the yellow pages were the first place a consumer would go when they were looking for products or services, especially locally. Now, however, with iPhones, iPads, laptops, notebooks, and a myriad of other fingertip options for searching the Internet for whatever we need, the World Wide Web is the first place that a majority of consumers go whether they are looking for a product or a service from providers in their communities, the nation, or from across the world. Businesses that don’t have websites are purposely eliminating themselves as a major player in their local communities or as a source of information around the world, which can add to the credibility of their product and/or service.

For those of us who didn’t grow up with a computer on our desk or in our pocket, converting to the very technologically dominated world that we now live in can be overwhelming and intimidating. Nonetheless, it is a step that needs to be taken when it comes to promoting and advancing a business.

While websites can be professionally designed, they don’t have to be. Companies like GoDaddy, Yahoo, and many others now provide website templates that businesses can use as a format for inserting their information and text at a very reasonable and affordable rate. If your marketing budget is tight, don’t bypass a website because you assume they are expensive, check out the “do it yourself” versions that can be simple and very affordable. If you offer products that require a “shopping cart” environment, those are also now available through sources like GoDaddy and Yahoo and are complete with all of the options you need to start offering your products within a short amount of time. If you’d prefer to have your website designed and maintained by someone in that business, those services can be found either in your local area or through the Internet.

A website consists of at least five pages and contains: a home page, an about us page, a contact us page, and pages of information about the products or services that you offer. But a website can have an unlimited number of pages as long as they are easy to access and your website is simple to navigate. Your home page is the most important page on your website because it needs to capture a visitor’s attention in a matter of seconds so that they will go deeper into your site to learn more about your business. The more developed your information and marketing about your business are, the more content your website can offer.

If you have ignored a website as an important option for marketing, it’s time to catch up with our world today and get your business represented on the World Wide Web. If you have a website but haven’t changed the content since you first developed it, you need to take this strong marketing tool seriously and provide ongoing updates and information to the prospective customers that are out there searching the Internet looking for a business or service just like yours. If you have a website and keep it updated and current, and consistently take the steps that are necessary to drive traffic to your website, you are one of the millions of business owners who understand the powerful marketing tool that the Internet has become for promoting business of all sizes in every location around the world. Good for you!

Author Bio: As CEO of Galaxy Marketing Solutions and an expert in Dental Practice Marketing Jyrki Ikonen works exclusively with dental clients helping them increase their patient flow through proven professional marketing campaigns.

Category: Marketing
Keywords: dental marketing, dental practice consultant, marketing consultant, dental marketing solutions