Why No Online Presence Could Mean the Death of Your Business

by Laurie Hayes

Whether or not you agree, online purchases are the way of the future and if you don't have a web site and means to purchase from your business online, you could find yourself in a troubling position one day.

People who tell you having an online presence isn't necessary are still trying to find the best deal on a new fax machine, drive to video stores to rent movies and card shops to send greeting cards.

Convenience rules and the number of online purchases continues to grow because almost anything you could ever want or need can be purchased with the click of a mouse -- from skin moisturizers to clothing to pet supplies to vehicles, homes and vacations.

We're a society of immediate gratification and time poverty.

Standing in line-ups, being restricted to 9-5 store hours and taking hours out of our over-committed day to drive to a mall, fight for a parking spot and try to maneuver a shopping cart through crowded aisles doesn't make sense any more when we can log into our computer 24/7/365, find what we want within minutes and have it delivered to our door.

Weather isn't an issue, nor is the price of gasoline. Buying is at our fingertips.

Kids these days are searching for toys, sports equipment and clothing online. They're demonstrating the way they will be the consumers of the future.

The trend is undeniable and the important question for you as a home business owner is - What are you doing about it? Are you already online, ensuring you get your piece of the pie, or are you operating in the dark?

You can rest assured that whatever product or service you're selling, it's already available online or will be soon.

What did you purchase online this year? Why did you buy it using the Internet instead of in person?

Convenience?
Selection?
Value?
Price?

If I want to buy from you at midnight, can I? Have you clearly communicated the value to me, how you can solve my particular problem, make my life easier, sooner? Have you created trust and credibility so I'm willing to enter my credit card info and hit the "purchase" button?

No matter what line of business you're in, if you're not making your products or service available online and communicating the benefits clearly, you're leaving money on the table and placing yourself in a very precarious position.

The success of your business rests on your ability to see into the future and take the necessary steps to ensure you arrive intact and hopefully positioned ahead of the others in your industry.

Be proactive. Be a visionary. Be a smart entrepreneur.

Laurie Hayes, certified Life & Business Coach and founder of The HBB Source, helps home-based entrepreneurs build successful businesses smarter and easier. Get her free ezine packed with helpful resources at http://www.thehbbsource.com