You keep hearing that you need an online presence for your new business, but you have to wonder if a small business website can really make a difference. After all, if everyone who starts a business has a website, it isn’t like people are going to be flocking to your online store in droves, right? Actually, while it is true that creating a site for your business doesn’t necessarily mean a huge influx of visitors will start as soon as the online business goes live, websites are a necessity for almost every business in today’s high tech world.

When most people with a home computer have a question about a business, they head straight for their favorite search engine. Whether someone wants to get your phone number to call to check on item availability, needs to check your hours to be sure you are open, or would like to get directions to the business location, that potential customer will assume he or she can get the answers from the store website.

If you dont want to create an elaborate site and don’t have any interest in selling products, you can use a website hosting service like Vistaprint to easily create a basic site that contains answers to most questions about your business in less than 24 hours.

You can’t wait to add a bunch of bells, whistles and even a few sirens to your new site. Every new gizmo and high tech option, from streaming music to high resolution graphics, will find a place there. People are going to be amazed with your incredible website design. You have to wonder why so many other businesses are creating such boring sites, though. Don’t they like the thought of using these cool options?

While those other businesses may just adore video content that plays the second the site starts loading or huge flash pages, they are smart enough to put those things where they belong on their personal pages. Why? Imagine sitting in an office cubical and quickly looking up the drycleaner’s website to get the phone number so you can call to make sure your suit is ready to be picked up during your lunch hour, which starts in five minutes. The big boss is strolling by, but you aren’t worried because your monitor is facing away from the corridor. Suddenly, your computer starts screaming out the lyrics to “Splish, Splash.” So, how frequently are you going to visit that drycleaner’s site in the future?

Simpler websites load more quickly and are less likely to cause customer embarrassment, which is why most businesses tend to avoid all the bells and whistles that seem so exciting.

You’ve got some absolutely amazing business cards from VistaPrint. Believe it or not, these cards match the colours you’ve chosen for your brick and mortar business. In fact, you like the cards so much that you’re going to order your stationery, your postcards and your promotional fridge magnets from VistaPrint, as well. Then, you see there’s an option for custom website design through the site, too. Since you are a detail oriented person who believes that a brown belt can only go with brown shoes, you are all for having everything match, from the business cards to the free website. However, you have to wonder if you are going too far. Is using the same design for everything okay? Absolutely!

When you develop the same look for all of your business promotional materials, your site and even your checks, you are creating something that is known in the business world as a brand. A well developed brand is a great thing to have, because customers associate you with certain characteristics and develop trust and loyalty when they see these things over and over again. They will subconsciously begin to look for your colours, fonts and logo when they are looking for a service or product that your company provides.