Right now one of the biggest problems for small business owners is attaining capital. The general public is reacting to the economy by spending less and it affects everyone on both the production and consumption sides of things. Banks have become tighter on loans and anyone without near flawless credit are being refused. Foreclosures continue to climb, businesses are cutting hours and downsizing in order to maintain and everytime you turn on the News you are reminded of this. If not you, maybe someone in your family is feeling the squeeze of the times. Add it all together and it is enough to sober your mood no matter your situation.

These are the times to get aggressive with your business and build a foundation that will bring you to the forefront post-recession. With the world quickly moving away from print media and more towards the speed and ease of the internet, if you are one of these businesses without a website, you may want to think about getting one now. The quickest and most cost-effective method of doing so is through purchasing a pre-designed web template and having a web designer tweak it to your identity. This should be one of the first investments you make with your company due to the habits of young professionals of today. For example, when a person is told about a company, one of the first things they will ask is “do they have a website?” This is due to the ease of typing in the URL and researching the company for oneself.

For instance I may be feeling stressed out and need a massage. My direct friends do not visit the spa, nor do they know much about spas so I may ask a family member to recommend one for me. Once I am given the name, it is almost automatic for me to Google the name of the company or type in the URL if it was provided to me. When I see the site, I may be influenced to follow up on my desire for a massage and schedule an appointment.  Remember a website is a virtual business card plus much more, it is your identity on the web and it can make a huge impact on your business. Think about it in terms of ROI, the massage may cost me $200, and while I am there I may get a facial, manicure and other treatments all totalling roughly $450. I am but one customer to a business owner who purchased a template and had it redesigned for about $425. It took one sale to get his investment back for a website that will continue to serve clients as long as it is live.

Just remember the web is only getting better, it is the newly discovered land that is being settled by virtual pilgrims all over the world. The land is vast and endless but as the villages of these pilgrims increase, the chances of finding good space and visibility decreases. The traffic increases and more sophisticated modes of transport will be developed to get people around, but they will only become more expensive. Why not carve out a plot of land now while it is affordable? It is all relative and any marketing expert would agree, investing in a website is the way to go no matter the economy.