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When is the last time you picked up the phone book to find a local business or hire a professional attorney? Today virtually everyone relies on the internet whether they are looking for local businesses or trying to find their next favorite TV show.

People don’t just drive around to look for a close by coffee shop anymore. The go online and look for local listings and read reviews and even see the menu before leaving their house. Online searches, local reviews and social media recommendation is embedded into the consumer’s shopping behavior and if you do not show up in the search results, you simply don’t exist.

Did you Know?

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85% of consumers search for local businesses online.

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63% of local searches result in phone calls

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25% Of Small Businesses Don’t Show Up in Search Results

What does it mean for you?

First of all by not having a website you are hurting your business. Nowadays it is a business standard to have a website that servers your customer 24/7. A well designed website not only provides your business information but it also convinces people to do business with you. Your website can be a powerful tool for building your brand, connecting to consumers, and getting leads. That’s because now more than ever, consumers rely on the Web to find information about your products and services. The Web is dramatically influencing consumer behavior and changing how your business connects with potential customers online. The information available online today gives consumers power that they haven’t had before, and this will only continue to grow. That’s why you need a Web presence that allows consumers to find you, connect with you, support you, and do business with you online. This isn’t just a trend. It’s a new way of doing business.

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Your website is the first point of contact between you and your potential customers and they are not visiting just to gain information. In fact according to researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology it takes less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor to form a first opinion of your brand. And it takes just another 2.6 seconds for that viewer’s eyes to concentrate in a way that reinforces that first impression (Selective Perception).

I remember when I lost my prescription glasses few months ago and I spent the next few days going to every eyeglass store in Tucson. I wasn’t able to pick anything from their selection so I went online and came across a beautiful website Warby Parker. I remember that as soon as I entered their website I had a feeling that I would buy my glasses from here. It probably took me around two second to form that decision, even before I actually saw their products. And once I started to browse their catalog I liked several pairs and eventually bought one.

You are thinking maybe I bought the glasses because I actually liked them and not because of a their website. You are absolutely right; I did buy the glasses because they are simple, sleek, stylistically versatile and relatively cheaper, however I wouldn’t have wasted a single second if I got a negative impression from their website.

A well designed website goes a long way toward making your business successful. It is how your visitors form opinion about your brand and choose whether or not to do business with you. You have less than two-tenths of a second to create a good impression and 2.6 seconds to further convey your message.