Today your buyers may find you through more traditional means – yellow pages, a friend or by having driven past your place of business.  Tomorrow your buyers are more likely find you in the same way or even on the Internet – but, they will go to your web site to learn more about your products and services and to form an initial impression about your business - this all before even picking up the phone or getting into the car to visit you. 

Another interesting fact, buyers of memorials are getting younger. As the boomer generation ages, their children will become your customers. These buyers will look for you first on the Internet and if you don’t have a site – they won’t find you. If you have a poor representation of you business online – they may pass you over for the next retailer in your area that has nice site.  It sounds superficial, but it’s been proven that younger buyers and today’s sophisticated Internet users form very important initial impressions when viewing your web site.  Why not put your best foot forward on the web as you do in your physical retail location.

1. To Establish a Presence

Approximately 35 million people worldwide have access to the Internet and it is estimated that by the end of 2009 45 million will have Web access. You just can't ignore these consumers.  In reality, we know that you most likely serve a defined area. Right now, you have thousands of potential customers in your area that have Internet access. Be ready for them when they come looking for you.

2. To Make Business Information Available

What is basic business information? Think of a Yellow Pages ad. What are your hours? What do you do? How can someone contact you? What methods of payment do you take? Where are you located? Now think of a Yellow Pages ad where you have instant communication. What makes what you do special? If you could keep your customer informed of every reason why they should do business with you, don't you think you could do more business?

3. To Serve Your Customers

Making business information available is one of the most important ways to serve your customers. But if you look at how you can best serve your customer, you'll find even more ways to use your website. How about having a variety of monument designs available, share pictures of your previous work, or show some color selections that you offer? Get your customers started on the buying process before even speaking with you for the first time.

4. To Show Your Work

A picture is worth a thousand words, but you don't have the space for a thousand words? Or, it might be hard to reach the majority of your target audience. Your Website allows you to add pictures to your company's information. Take credit for your great work – others will be inspired by it.

5. To Reach a Highly Desirable Demographic Market

The demographic of the Internet user is probably the highest mass-market demographic available. Usually college-educated or being college educated, making a high salary or soon to make a high salary. These are your next customers. They will be memorializing their parents – you want to help them find you.

6. To Answer Frequently Asked Questions

Whoever answers the phones in your organization can tell you, their time is usually spent answering the same questions over and over again. These are the questions customers and potential customers want to know the answer to before they deal with you. Post them on your website and you will have removed another barrier to doing business with you and free up some time in the office for closing the sale.

7. To Reach the Media

Every kind of business needs the exposure that the media can bring. The media is the most wired profession today, since their main product is information and they can get it more quickly, cheaply and easily on-line. When the media needs an expert, they look online first.  Be there and they may call on you.  All press is good press.

8. To Serve Your Local Market

We've talked about the power to serve the world with a Website. How about your neighborhood? Internet access penetration is up to 70% of the households today. Your customers are going to look for you on the Internet.  You can make your Website a part of your sales team no matter where your market is. We place local market information on your home page when necessary to help search engines deliver you to your customers.