Being from the "Internet generation," we know the importance of doing your business online, or at least promoting your business. The internet has opened up a wealth of opportunities for businesses that simply did not exist 10 or 15 years ago. But before we start giving away our age, please let us explain further.

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

The Internet never closes, and it never closes on weekends. Your company's information and contact details are available at all times. This means that potential customers can research and decide if they want to do business with you without having to contact you. In the past, a potential customer could only inquire about your business during business hours, unless you wanted to give out your home phone and cell phone numbers. Now, he can send you an email and you can answer it when it's convenient for you.

More information than ever before

The Internet does not limit you to a certain number of words. You literally have unlimited space to talk about your business, advertise, and present information. In the past, you had to cram what you thought was the most important information into a 30-second commercial or a brochure of a certain size.

Global users

Before the Internet existed, you had to spend a lot of money to advertise outside your local area. You had to rely on people driving by or hearing/seeing one of your local ads to do business with you. The Internet, on the other hand, is accessible from any country on earth, and a website or online ad usually costs exactly the same whether it's seen by people from your hometown or from the other side of the world.

Changeable content

When creating a business brochure or handout, you had to make sure that you only included unchangeable information because once it was printed, you could not change the information. This caused potentially high advertising costs and sometimes a lot of wasted ads due to changing information. Similarly, you could not change the text or print of a radio or TV ad until the campaign ran. Online, changing information is as easy as clicking a mouse. Your phone number changed? Just log in to your website or ad and change it.

Small costs, big results

We all know how expensive traditional advertising campaigns can be. However, online advertising is far less costly. Placing ads on search engines where customers can find your business is free and allows visitors to search and find your website. If you choose to advertise your website on other networks, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. This way you have control over the amount and only pay for the people who actually see your website.

Overall, the Internet is not one of the best ways to successfully advertise your business. If you are new to the internet, consider hiring a professional to develop and maintain your ads for you. When looking for a designer and web developer, you should pay special attention to the details. Here are a few things you should avoid:

1 Template websites

Templates, sometimes called cookie-cutter websites, are pre-made designs and setups of a website. Any number of other websites can use the same template for their website. If a potential client has visited a website with a template similar to yours, they will either not take your business as seriously or associate it with that website. Ask the potential designer if your website will be unique or based on a template before working with them.

2. Design for an hourly rate

Some web design companies offer web design for an hourly rate. It turns out that many designers who work at an hourly rate will tell you that something will take much longer than it normally does. In this case, you end up paying for hours of work when it really only took a few minutes, or they hold your website hostage until you finish it. Look for package deals that list what you will receive, regardless of how much time it took to complete.

3. High hosting fees

Many new and unfamiliar business owners have their websites hosted by their web designers. There is nothing wrong with that, but be careful with the amount you have to pay monthly for hosting. On the other hand, you may find a design company that offers free hosting as an introductory offer. If this is the case, you should find out how much you will pay for hosting when the offer expires.

4. Long completion times

Web design is a complicated process, but a good designer can complete a website in a relatively short time. Be wary of web designers who take a long time to complete any website. This can be a sign that they have too much to do. If that's the case, you run the risk of not getting the attention and care needed to make a website successful. Always ask a potential designer how long it usually takes them to complete and publish a website.

If you are looking for a professional to develop and maintain your advertising or website for you, feel free to contact the experts at OneTeam.