Create Online presence, Whatever You do
October 7, 2011 by shecommerce
Filed under Marketing Online
THE importance of an internet presence for agricultural or rurally-based businesses even if it is just a single page website with contact information cannot be underestimated, says our new internet and marketing columnist for the Southern Farmer.
Jo McInnes is the director of SheCommerce, a Yarck-based online marketing and website development business that originated in Sydney in 1989. Jo made a tree change to Victoria in 1996 and in 2003 made the successful leap into the online space after 20 years in print media marketing.
Jo will be sharing her knowledge and experience every month with a new column in Southern Farmer based around tips and advice tailored for agricultural and rural businesses to understand and get the most out of the internet and online marketing, even for those with small budgets.
“You don’t have to have great big flash websites, and you don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars building them. There are ways to get a presence on the internet so people can find you,” she said.
Jo works for a range of clients across a number of industries, with the majority of her clients being regionally based , small and micro businesses. Jo said many business owners might feel they do not need an online presence because they get their customers through word of mouth, or because they feel they do business differently, but she says having an internet presence will assist customers to reach you with minimal effort.
“You don’t have to have the bells and whistle website. For some people their website is a sales tool, for others it is a communication tool, others it is a motivational tool and some just have a website so people find them,” she said.
“The way people are searching for information these days is predominately on the net. There is no market segment that shouldn’t have an online presence, if you are in business and take your business seriously then it really is a must. It appears though, that a lot of agricultural, rural and trade businesses think they don’t need it. Are they thinking of their customer? How many customers are trying to find them on the net, can’t, give-up and use someone else?
“Before we had the internet businesses had to have a Yellow Pages listing, and if you didn’t have a listing or you weren’t in the phone book then you weren’t in business. Now, people are moving away from picking up phone books, and searching online especially with smart phones. We live in an instant gratification society, people want information and they want it now!
The online space has many uses but one of the major services it provides is ANSWERS to peoples PROBLEMS. A problem could be how to get from a to b or looking up a phone number to downloading a recipe. More and more people are using their smart phones whilst they are out and about, they don’t carry the yellow pages in the back seat of their car!
“It doesn’t matter what business you are in, you should be able to be found on the internet,” Jo said.
