Greetings from the Steadman

[MSOMedia]

Hi peeps! I'm Mark, I run a multimedia design company in Birmingham, called MSO Media, specialising in website design and development, business cards and stationery, and CD-ROM brochures.

I like the idea of adding a poll to each post I write, so I've started off by asking whether you think every business needs a website. Personally I don't think so, but I know others disagree. What do you think?

Feel free to check out my site (http://www.msomedia.com) and give me any feedback you might have.

Hope to hear from you soon!

[fastfences]

Welcome.

Nah, I don't think every business needs a web -site. Take a bakery for instance; who would buy cakes and bread off the web? You'd arrange for your e courier and find that the goodies were either eaten, crushed or stale by the time you received them.

With full respect to anyone who owns opr owned a bakery - including Jayne :wink:
Cheers, Nigel

[Richard Conyard]

I agree certain companies just don't need a web presence. However I think a bakery might be a good idea to put online if done correctly... that is
Set-up definate accounts for users allowing them to buy credits for goods (because you don't want to keep on having to pay the transaction fee)
Put the store online, including sandwiches etc.
All orders received before 11:30 will be dropped over for lunch.

You'd have to have set criteria on where to deliver to make it worth your while, but for remote business centres etc. it would be a nice little earner.

[MSOMedia]

IPut the store online, including sandwiches etc.


Interesting you should say that, as I'm soon to be developing a site for a sandwich shop, which will do just that.

[Alpha]

Hi Mark and welcome to the forums.

Regarding websites it is true that not everyone actually needs a website but it can be required for so many other things apart from direct sales

Company awareness and marketing
Product awareness
As a company catalogue when online updates will work out cheaper than reprinting and distribution.
Supplying information which can be an amalgamtion of the above

etc etc

The biggest difficulty for any new web design company is simply that there are so many out there and competition has meant that a large number of people service the 'cheap and cheerful' end of the market. It is very difficult to get into the higher skill/knowledge based market.

[JK_du_Toit]

Hey all!

You have to remember that a website is not just about buying on the internet, it is also a really handy marketing tool. It can give you all that handy little info that you cant get from a yellow pages advert. People hardly ever use any other form of info-hunting than the internet, so a website is crucial.

So my answer is a definate YES! How many bakers are in your area? 2, 3 perhaps? Go see if you are right. Use the internet. This should give you an idea of how powerful it is...

Take Care!

JK du Toit
Quantum Business Development
0788 618 0357

[easy]

Hi Mark - welcome to the forum.

Loved the design of your site. Wasn't too sure about the Google ads - they seemed to be advertising people in direct competition. Do they make you much income?

Does every business need a web site? Well, I suppose the local convenience store selling baked beans and loo rolls wouldn't benefit too much.

But most businesses have information to share, even if its just contact details, opening hours or latest promotions. So just to buck the trend, I voted Yes!

[MSOMedia]

Hi Mark - welcome to the forum.

Loved the design of your site. Wasn't too sure about the Google ads - they seemed to be advertising people in direct competition. Do they make you much income?

Hi, and thanks for your comments! The Google ads only appear on pages that offer something for nothing, ie the newsletter and free tools. I don't earn much from them (at the moment) as I don't really get enough traffic.

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell from Google's AdSense site, you can't tell Google not to advertise sites that contain certain words. If I could I'd remove ads that had the words "web design" etc in them. As it is, I'm not too worried either way because - as I said - I'm not generating very much traffic and even less ad clicks.

[Jayne]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the forum :D

Jayne


And no, a web site isn't much good for a bakery, that's why we haven't got one :D We are busy enough without any more customers, thank you very much :D

Jayne

[fastfences]

Hey all!

You have to remember that a website is not just about buying on the internet, it is also a really handy marketing tool. It can give you all that handy little info that you cant get from a yellow pages advert. People hardly ever use any other form of info-hunting than the internet, so a website is crucial.

JK du Toit
Quantum Business Development
0788 618 0357

Fair enough comment, as I do not 'sell' from my site; it is more 'reactive' than 'proactive' as I promote it as information/pictorial AFTER quoting.

But still, the question asked about EVERY business. I guess even the corner shop selling 'loo rolls and baked beans' could benefit given the right sort of promotion and exposure.

So now I have to succinctly eat my earlier words. The response re the bakery site and sandwich ordering was a good example of how effective this may be. Shame Jayne has too many customers to explore this! Oh to be at maximum capacity!! :lol: :lol:
Cheers, Nigel

[Jayne]

Maximum Capacity is good for takings, but crap to do..we once spent 2 days in the bakery one year, with no sleep, to get xmas orders out. You get dissy and your legs go like jelly (not fun), so glad i'm part-time now, lots of staff :D

Word of mouth works best for bakeries, don't care what you say about web sites :lol:

Talking of word of mouth..when we had our first shop, one of our best weeks takings, was when my husband broke his ribs on our wedding night. Everyone in Castleford knew about it within 2 days and all came for a nosey :lol:

Jayne

[fastfences]

..when we had our first shop, one of our best weeks takings, was when my husband broke his ribs on our wedding night.

Jayne

Go Jayne. Now that musta been some kinda wedding night.

Did the chandelier snap? :lol:
Cheers, Nigel

[Jayne]

Wasn't that lucky Nigel :lol:

Jayne