Beyond the Brochure

Many small business web sites started out as an electronic brochure. Maybe that's how your site started. It was a wonderful thing. No longer did you need to mail people a costly print brochure - you could just direct them to your web site. It was quicker, and in many cases, less expensive.

But a web site can be much more. It should be able to save you time (and money) and quite possibly it will save your customers time and frustration in the process.

How? Turn your web site into a self-service center for your customers. How you do that will depend on your business, but consider the following scenarios.

1. You have a business that takes reservations via phone—maybe for dinner or for a haircut, or it could be a room rental or a car rental. Why not set up your web site to take those reservations for you? It will free up your time, your phone, and offer your customers the ability to make reservations 24 hours a day.
   
   
2. You manufacture auto parts and have in the past provided an extensive list of printed service bulletins that detail particular problems and their resolutions for various makes and models. Set up an on-line application where your customers can search the service bulletin database by make, model, and part number to find the solution to the problem. See this application.
   
   
3. You sell a product that usually requires financing. Set up a mortgage calculator on your site so the customer can figure out what they can afford before they call you. See a sample calculator.
   
   
4. You run a catering business. Why not set up an application that allows your customers to choose their menu, enter the size of the party, get a quote and book the party.

These are just a few ideas. Think about how you or your employees spend time on the phone. Is it really necessary? I'm not suggesting that you eliminate all your staff. There are many times when it's necessary or more convenient to talk to a real person. But we've all expereinced the frustration of voicemail and multi-step telephone menus. A web application customized to your business can help eliminate the frustration your customers may experience "on hold" while freeing up your staff for more profitable activities.