All organizations will profit from some presence on the worldwide web, even if it is only a straightforward listing on a site such as yell.com or one of the other company directory sites. That way, even if customers would not consider ordering your product or service over the web at least they can find your address details so that they can call in.
It may be that a little more information would be of use to the customer, say for example you are a bridal shop the chances of a bride buying a dress from you from the internet are slender but she may very well want to know a few things about your shop before deciding whether to drop in. Opening times will be useful as will knowing if a meeting is needed. She may also want to know what price range of dresses you stock, which designers you work with and whether you sell accessories, bridesmaid dresses etc. All of this information means that a reasonable 3 or 4 page website would be well received by a customer base who are more and more used to seeing what they want on the internet.
That said, the business you will attract will still be rather local as clients will come to visit you in person so there is no need to spend large amounts on listing the full range of your stock, having photographs of everything taken and offering a “buy on line” service available. The cost of a useful simple information website should only be a few hundred pounds and there is no need to spend on Online Marketing or be bothered about your Search Engine Placement as customers will search for you via your business name.
Other companies, whose customer base is more suited to national or international sales must invest heavily in their website if they are to tap into the potential of the web. If we look at a business that sells car windscreen wipers on line we can see the difference straight awat. If the customer knows that the wipers she sees on the website will fit her vehicle and that they are a good price she will buy from wherever she is. This could mean national and international trade for the business that they would simply not see from having a place on a high street. Money spent on Online Marketing provided by a SEO Company is however in this example crutial. If you do not have a good search engine placement none of those potential customers will find you as they will not know you by name; so spend in both site development and Search Engine Placement is crutial.