Why do I need more than just a simple online brochure?

I was once asked why a simple (actually a very cheap) online brochure wasn't as good as our powerful Woogloo platform, which cost millions to develop. The lady pointed out that her little brochure site meant that her business was now online - which is all that is required, isn't it?

This is a good question, one that many people want to ask, but may not have the courage to. However, it also shows a profound lack of understanding.

When we understand what a website is for and how it can work for our business, we can begin to understand why a website needs to be more than just a brochure.

The key words are service and communication: that is, a website should enhance the quality of the service you provide your customers and foster better communication with your clients.

A website needs to create an additional layer of services that cannot be provided by traditional means. The marketing and business model that a website works on is Database Marketing. You can read more about it here>>

A good website can automate many of your current client management, marketing and sales tasks and passively grow your business - and your clients will love you for it!

People using the internet get terribly frustrated that when they finally find a company's website that may have the products or services that they are after and they cannot get good information on the company or the products they sell from that website - and they are even more frustrated that they cannot buy the products via the website.

Some companies do not even provide a telephone number on their website for their clients to be able to contact them to ask for more information - many don't even have an email address, just a simple contact form.

Imagine walking into a shop and encountering a poster with just the names of the products the company sells - no prices, no information, no specs, no pictures, nothing! Now imagine that there is no way you can buy these products, instead you have to write out a note explaining what it is you want to purchase and then put it in a box - not knowing whether anyone will find your note or read it. This is the ludicrous situation that many businesses put their clients in everyday with their website.

The world has become very used to using the internet for finding information and buying goods and services. Companies that fail to understand this are not simply lagging behind, their pathetic effort at creating a website is driving their customers to actively seek out their opposition. Some people even get so fed-up that they band together and boycott businesses that have inadequate websites.

So for many businesses their online brochure is doing more to damage to their reputation and marketing efforts than having no website at all.