By: Master Web Creations
9/20/2005

A website is a marketing tool. It is not a digital brochure, but it is another form of communication between you and your clients or potential customers. A website is most effective when used as a part of a marketing strategy. A good example is to reply to your website inquiries or leads with your brochure or a phone call.

What about my ad budget?

Print advertisements are temporary – your website is permanent. It compliments and reinforces your print communications by always containing the most up to date and detailed information about your company and its products or services.

Your website is intended to reach more people, offer more information, build credibility and to put forth a professional first impression.

But I’m not a computer whiz, and neither are my clients…

As the owner, all you need is internet access, a web browser and email capabilities. The website designer can assist you with the creation process and regular updates to your website.

According to the CIA Factbook and the Computer Industry Almanac, regular internet usage has increased by more than 10% in North America in the last two to three years and is now at more than 60% of the population. 206 million people in the U.S. and Canada go online at least once a week (of 330.5 million people). The other 40% (124.5 million people) either do not have internet access or do not use the internet on a regular basis.

Additional facts to consider include the following: 10% of the U.S. population is under the age of 18; and 30% of the U.S. population is over the age of 55. Thus, some portion of these age ranges is accounted for as regular internet users.

Chances are, even though your potential audience may not own a computer or regularly access the internet, you still have a good probability of reaching them. Unless of course, your only potential customer or client is someone who is under the age of 18 (or over 55) who does not use a personal computer. How many people do you know have never gone online?

For more information, read Population Explosion! on ClickZ Network or do a websearch for "internet use statistics".

~ a www.masterwebcreations.com article