By: Tim Haas Owner/Web Developer Haas Consulting Marketing & Web Development Services View Our Webpage

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• & More!

We are a full service Marketing Firm. From creating a marketing plan to layout, design, and seamless execution, our goal is to help you make the most out of your marketing!

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Welcome to our new and current subscribers! This newsletter is published monthly by Haas Consulting. It is here to be a source of information for anyone who would like to learn about webpages, marketing, and other business related topics.

Please feel free to email us with topics you would like to learn more about. You may view past issues at www.thaas.info/articles.php. Enjoy!

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Is a Website An Asset to Your Business?

There are two significant issues with many business websites on the internet today. The first is that many businesses do not have a presence on the web at all. The second is that some existing websites were poorly implemented from the start or have fallen into a state of disrepair.

Not having an online presence is a critical error

The days of the internet as an oddity are over. A couple of months ago I was discussing the opportunities available on the web with a business owner and asked him if he would like to have a website for his business. His response? (and he was dead serious) "Lets wait and see if this internet thing catches on before we talk about climbing aboard." Wow! Talk about a ship that has already sailed!

Business owners have a lot of different excuses for not putting a website together.

• No money in the budget
• It is intimidating
• Too much work
• Don't understand how to use the website

No matter what reasoning a person uses to talk themselves out of it, there are a few important facts to keep in mind.

• More and more people today turn to the web as their first source when looking for products and services.
  • Convenience: they don't have to leave the house or go out of their way
  • They can check multiple sources very easily
• People view businesses with websites as being better established and of higher quality
• Demographics are changing
  • More customers are 'web literate' . . . they grew up with computers and are very accustomed to using them!
  • Many retired people are learning how to use computers - the numbers are growing!
• Having an existing web presence is bound to increase the value of your business when it comes time to sell.
• A website can be much more economical and effective than other traditional forms of advertising!

A Bad Website Is Better Than No Website - Barely!

First impressions last forever! People make decisions about everything based upon very little information; it is one of those negatives associated with being human.

If you think this is overly critical, think about someone you saw in public or on the television that dressed different than you or you thought just plain looked 'weird' . . . I'll bet you weren't thinking, "Now there is someone I would like to know better!"

You face the same issue with your business. There are many ways to mess up a good idea, here are a couple of the bigger ones.

• Do it yourself programmer
  • Yes, this is cheaper - but so are the results, and it will show!
  • You will most likely find that you do not have the time to 'do it up right' or handle the upkeep. Don't you already have enough to do as the business owner now!
• Low cost online templates really aren't much of a bargain either.
  • They tend to be more complicated than the salesperson lets on.
  • They are set up as generically as possible to meet the needs of a wide group of people.
    • Is your business generic?
• Failure to keep the website current
  • Would you purchase merchandise from a business that is dirty and banged up?
  • Search Engine Optimization - in order to maximize your visibility on the web you need to do some occasional work to update the code as well as the content.
  • An outdated website just plain leaves a bad impression with viewers.

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Additional Links of Interest *

ESPN  If you are into sports this website offers enough to keep you busy for quite awhile. There is too much here to even describe.

Northple.com  Enjoy Christmas with Santa Claus at the North pole, an award-winning Christmas web site. Send a letter to Santa Clause or a Christmas card to a friend

* By providing these links we are not endorsing the services or products being offered. We are only offering links to other websites that may be of interest to you

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