| QUESTION:
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| | website.Let me clarify one point: I am
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| My business is very small, just me and
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| | not saying that you should put all your
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| two employees, and our product really
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| | efforts into selling your wares over the
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| can't be sold online. Do I really need a
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| | Internet, though if your product lends
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| website? -- Robin C.ANSWER:
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| | itself to easy online sales, you
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| Congratulations, Robin, you are the one
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| | certainly should be considering it.The
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| millionth person to ask me that question.
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| | point to be made here is that you should
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| Smile for the cameras, brush the
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| | at the very least have a presence on the
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| streamers and confetti from your hair and
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| | World Wide Web so that customers,
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| listen closely, because I'm about to
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| | potential employees, business partners,
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| answer for the millionth time what has
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| | and perhaps even investors can quickly
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| become one of the most important and
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| | and easily find out more about your
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| often-asked questions of the digital
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| | business and the products or services you
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| business age.Before I answer, however,
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| | have to offer.That said, it's not enough
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| let's flash back to the very first time I
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| | that you just have a website. You must
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| was asked this question. It was circa
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| | have a professional looking website if
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| 1998, during the toddler years of the
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| | you want to be taken seriously. Since
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| Internet, just after Al Gore laid claim
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| | many consumers now search for information
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| to having given birth to the concept a
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| | online prior to making a purchase at a
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| few short years before.I was giving a
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| | brick and mortar store, your website may
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| speech on the impact of the Internet on
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| | be the first chance you have at making a
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| small business at an association luncheon
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| | good impression on a potential buyer. If
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| in Montgomery, Alabama. My motto then
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| | your website looks like it was designed
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| was: Feed me and I will speak. I have
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| | by a barrel of colorblind monkeys, your
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| the same motto today, but I now expect
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| | chance at making a good first impression
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| dessert to be included in exchange for
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| | will be lost.One of the great things
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| the sharing of my vast wisdom.In 1998,
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| | about the Internet is that it has leveled
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| which was decades ago in Internet years,
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| | the playing field when it comes to
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| the future of electronic commerce or
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| | competing with the big boys. As
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| "ecommerce" as it's come to be known, was
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| | mentioned, you have one shot at making a
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| anybody's guess, but even the most
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| | good first impression and with a
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| negative futurists agreed that all the
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| | well-designed website; your little
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| signs indicated that a large portion of
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| | operation can project the image and
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| future business revenues would be derived
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| | professionalism of a much larger
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| from online transactions, or from offline
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| | company.The inverse is also true. I've
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| transactions that were the result of
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| | seen many big company websites that were
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| online marketing efforts.So, Robin,
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| | so badly designed and hard to navigate
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| should your business have a website, even
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| | that they completely lacked
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| if your business is small and sells
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| | professionalism and credibility. Good
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| products or services that you don't think
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| | for you, too bad for them. You also
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| can be sold online? My answer in 1998
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| | mention that yours is a small operation,
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| is the same as my answer today: Yes, if
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| | but when it comes to benefiting from a
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| you have a business, you should have a
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| | website, size does not matter. I don't
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| website. Period. No question. Without
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| | care if you are a one-man show or a ten
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| a doubt. Thank you, drive through. Now
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| | thousand employee corporate giant; if you
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| serving customer number one million and
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| | do not have a website you are losing
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| one...Also, don't be so quick to dismiss
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| | business to other companies that
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| your product as one that can't be sold
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| | do.Here's the exception to my rule: It's
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| online. Nowadays there is very little
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| | actually better to have no website at all
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| that cannot be sold over the Internet.
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| | than to have one that makes your business
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| More than 20 million shoppers are now
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| | look bad.Your website speaks volumes
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| online, purchasing everything from books
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| | about your business. It either says,
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| to computers to cars to real estate to
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| | "Hey, look, we take our business so
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| jet airplanes to natural gas to you name
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| | seriously that we have created this
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| it. If you can imagine it, someone will
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| | wonderful website for our customers!" or
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| figure out how to sell it online.Internet
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| | it says, "Hey, look, I let my ten-year
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| marketing research firms predict that
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| | old nephew design my site! Good luck
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| online revenues will range between $180
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| | finding anything!"Small Business Q&A is
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| and $200 billion dollars in 2004. They
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| | written by veteran entrepreneur
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| also predict that the number of online
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| | and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox.
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| consumers will grow at a rate of 30-50%
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| | Tim's latest books include "Small
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| over the next few years. These numbers
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| | Business Success Secrets"
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| alone should be enough to convince you
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| | and "The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!
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| that your business should have a
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| |
|
