Today, business marketing exists largely on the internet. For that reason, it is crucial for most companies to have an online presence.

The hub of your online presence is of course your business website. In 2013, it’s very hard for the public to take serious a company that does not have at least a basic website. In addition to the legitimacy and branding associated with building a business website, many companies can generate sales, leads and foot traffic on their site. If you don’t exist at all in Google search results, then you are probably underachieving and missing out on at some key benefits.

Today, just as was true 50 or 100 years ago, intelligent marketing, persuasive sales and in-person relationship building are king. But denying the immense power of the internet and not having a business website is no longer an option if you want to remain competitive.

Business websites can pay off immediately

Too often, old school business types pattern their entire online strategy on what their competitors are doing. While this is obviously important information to know and use, you can’t necessarily immediately look and rank better than your rivals. After all, this is about your own personal sales, no matter where they come from; sometimes targeting smaller niche search keywords (and market segments) can bear a lot of fruit.

Also, consider this: you cannot shut down shop while your legendary website is under construction. Put up a basic business site to ensure that potential customers and clients can contact you. Studies have shown that more than half of potential customers conduct an online search of a business before buying – this includes all in person locations as well. If a customer searches and there’s no one home, they’re surely going to go with someone else and you’ve just thrown away a valuable lead.

You probably spend money advertising in some respect. Having an actual website for leads to land on or peruse will improve any advertising campaign.

Prove your business’ worth.

Many old school companies exist solely in person. Some with limited resources simply have a blogspot location or some social media profiles. Yet, when potential clients search them or their industry, they are left unsure and suspicious that they can’t find an official website. Don’t let people think your business is a scam or an amateur operation.

A basic website (and not a 2002 style template) is easy to build and affordable to manage. Chances are you have a business objective, a logo, some kind of brand identity and some information about your company. A professional web design company can help you conceptualize this information into valuable and optimized content. In just a few weeks for next to nothing, you can have an attractive and functional website that is easy to modify and manage. The return on investment (from nothing to a professional basic site) will be surely astronomical for a stable business.

Consider a professional business website before you miss out on any more customers.