• Acudata Inc.
  Electronic Manufacture's Representatives 
• Crosswind Systems
  TOMCAT Roofs, Multi-Stage Decks, Barricades and Spot Towers
• Diamond W Ranch
  East Texas horse ranch
• Gemini Stage Lighting & Sound
  Stage Lighting, Production &
  Equipment company in Dallas, TX
• Graphic Image Signs
  Signs Designed with Curb Appeal in Mind
• Joe Campbell, Handyman
  Serving the Dallas, TX area
• Lost Creek Greenhouse Systems
  Greenhouse Supplies and Equipment
• NecessiTees
  Custom Printing for All Occasions
• Parker Fire Department
  PVFD in Parker, Texas
• The Sign Shop Inc.
  In Dallas, TX, offering signs, banners, corporate awards, and more
• Texas Tag Sales
  Professionally  run estate sales in the North Texas area

Using Your Website As a Business Tool  

People call and ask for sales information or to get more details about what you sell. They ask routine questions like:

-- 'What time do you open?'
-- 'What time do you close?'
-- 'When can I schedule an appointment?'
-- 'How much of a deposit do I have to put down?'
-- 'What forms of payment do you accept?'

These are questions your website should be handling for you. If you had a commonly asked questions section on your website, you could simply direct potential customers there. And, in all of your ads you would have your website address listed so that prospects could find the answers to these routine questions so they don't ask you.

Most people will go there first to learn more about your business. Especially, as your local area gets more connected to the Internet each day. This ultimately means less people will call you to ask these routine questions.

Your sales literature changes constantly. Prices change. The types of services and products you sell change. So your sales literature is never really up to date. If your sales literature was online, you could easily change prices, products and services offered, office hours, etc - and it wouldn't cost you a penny.

You aren't as prompt with mailing sales information as you would like to be. Here's where your website would come in handy. Instead of mailing your sales literature or explaining what you do over the phone (killing precious minutes), you could direct people to your website for these details. When they call you, after visiting your website, they will be better informed about what you do, how you do it, and when it can be done. This means you will spend less time explaining and more time providing the actual service or selling the item desired.

When preparing for the creation of your website, you should concentrate on the following critical areas:

Commonly asked questions. For one week write down every question people ask when they call your shop or enter your office. These questions and your responses to each will be the foundation of a commonly asked questions section of your website. Be as complete in your answers as you can be. The more complete you are, the less people will call you to ask these questions. Remember, your goal is to reduce the number of people asking routine questions so you can concentrate of actually providing the service or selling the desired item.

Frequently asked questions about each product or service you provide. Again, for one week write down all of the questions and concerns people have about the products and services you offer.

Details about each product or service you provide. Give details such as available sizes, colors, styles, etc. Talk about the limitations of each product and the best way to use them. If you offer a service, do the same for each service.

Your website should be an extension of you. It should be an extension of your staff. Look at it this way, your website should contain as much information to service potential customers so that you or staff will be of very little need.

The purpose of your website is NOT to sell your product or service directly. Remove all thoughts of selling your product or service directly from your website. The main goal of your website should be to EDUCATE your website visitors about what you sell and how you sell it so well, that when they do call you or come into your shop or office - they are ready to buy!