Financial Times

Establishing a web presence for your business
By Nilooka Dissanayake
In the past few articles we have been discussing the logic and economics of whether your business requires a web presence yet. The key word is yet. Some day you will most likely need to, if not of your own volition, but because of the pressure from your business partners, customers or competitors. But do you need it now? That decision is for you to take.

Today let us explore what we mean by establishing a web presence. You can establish a basic web presence for your business in two ways.

The first, the cheapest and the easiest, is to obtain a listing on an online directory. Think of this to be just like advertising in the Yellow Pages. You pay a small amount and get listed for an agreed period. It might not get you too far, but it is a start. Think of it as the first baby steps when you were learning to walk. But online advertising can come in useful in a different way after you have progressed further up on the eLadder. That is another story.

The second, and the 'real' way of establishing a web presence is by getting your own website. We will talk about this at length in the future.

Obtaining listings in one or more online trade directories is a common thing. For example, if you are an exporter, you might get registered in the Export Development Board online directory through the www.srilankabusiness.com website. There are many other public and private sector directories and directories affiliated to trade chambers and trade associations.

One thing you must remember is that, in this way, your online exposure is directly related to the traffic levels for the chosen website and to their efforts to market their site and hence indirectly your listings online and offline. At this stage, besides putting your email and directory listing page on your business card and stationary and in your out going emails, there is nothing much you can do about it. A small operator who supplies a super market with one item and fills one half of a shelf can hardly expect to change the policy or the marketing plan of the super market operator.

If this is the option you take, it pays-both literally and metaphorically-to select the super market with care. You must select the web directory with the highest amount of traffic. Not just that, you need to select the directory with the highest amount of traffic relevant to your business. There is no point in getting registered with a site that attracts youth and claims thousands or millions of visitors a month if you are an exporter seeking foreign markets for industrial goods or parts or raw material. But if you are dealing in consumer items, this may make sense and help you promote your products and even attract potential customers from among the youthful visitors. So beware of how you choose the directory.

These are some of the question to ask:
* How many unique visitors come to your site a month/week/day?
* How many new visitors? How many repeat visitors?
* What is the profile of the visitors?
* How many pages does the average visitor go to?
* How long does the average visitor stay in the site?
* Who are the closest competitors for this directory?
* What does the directory do to attract visitors?
* What features do they provide?

We will elaborate on each one of these in the next few articles.
What are the your questions and concerns you face as you try to take your small business (or big business) online? Let us know so that we can share these with our readers and seek solutions together. You can contact us on ft@sundaytimes.wnl.lk.

The writer is the Managing Editor of Athwela Vyaparika Sangarawa (Athwela Business Journal), the only Sinhala management monthly targeting the small and medium enterprises, the Ezine Athwela Email Magazine and www.smallbusiness.lk, the bilingual small business website.

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