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Still wondering if you need a presence on the Internet?

Here are a few things to consider...

The Internet is a virtual highway - these days, it's one of the ways that people use to get around and see things. For offline businesses, a web site is like having an information booth on the highway.

But there's more to it than that. Technology and the Internet are being accepted and integrated into every day life at a very rapid pace.

Alexander Graham Bell took out a patent on his telephone in 1876. Yet, well into the 1950s, some businesses that relied entirely on walk-in trade were operating successfully without these devices. And although the more economical party line service was still available in the 1950s, even in big cities, telephones were considered a luxury item in some homes. But today, the telephone is looked upon by most people as being a necessity.

Here we are in the 21st century and there are businesses that could still operate quite nicely without telephones. But what would customers think of a business that did not have a telephone? Even if those customers would never want to call that business, what kind of impression would this leave? So, having a telephone is a seldom considered, but important part of the business image, isn't it?

Having an Internet presence is becoming part of the business image as well.

The Internet as we know it today has been around for less than 30 years, but increasingly, as the Internet becomes a bigger part of every day life, consumers expect businesses to have web sites - even if they are just brochure style web sites that say "This is who we are and this is what we do."

Web sites allow consumers to pay a virtual visit to your business at their convenience, from the comfort of their homes. So, just how important is it that businesses can be found on the Internet? Read this 2005 article in USA Today. And check some of the numbers provided by Statistics Canada.

Matthew Barbour has been writing professionally for more than 30 years. He has written news and advertising copy for radio and television and his work has appeared in a variety of publications. He also produces creative text for web sites at Dundas Web Internet Services.