Both of these statements are valid. Word of mouth advertising is still one of the best forms of advertising that there is, whilst not over-stretching your resources is sensible.

However, there are four key points about having a website that negates both these arguments.

Firstly, with word of mouth advertising a business has little control on the message that is given out or over who the message is given out to and, indeed, when it is given out. It could be a long time before word of mouth advertising starts to give any sort of return. With search engine optimisation of a web site, a good, clear message, and eye catching design a web site can do the ‘word of mouth’ advertsing to a much larger audience, delivering the message that you want to broadcast.

Secondly,  according to InternetRetailing.com 97% of the UK’s internet users shop online and with almost 16 million households with internet access according to National Statistics Online that is a lot of potential customers these businesses could be missing out on. Even if you don’t sell products online, people expect to be able to look up a company’s products and services online before making a decision to purchase.

Nowadays, people use a website address much the same as a phone number (and some would argue web addresses are much easier to remember) and so, if a business has their website on their vehicles or signs for instance, it provides a much more memorable reference for passing motorists or pedestrians.

Thirdly, having a website can reduce a business’s work load. A well thought out website will  have applications that reduce the amount of time spent on the telephone, for instance. Orders can be processed online and payment taken without any involvement from staff. When I pressed one business owner as to how they communicate with their clients, they answered that they send a monthly newsletter by post! This could be carried out with much less time and effort (and cost) using e-mailing software integrated in to a website.

Finally, having a website can enhance a business’s client experience. If a new piece of legislation is published for an accountant’s clients for instance, this can then be published online and a newsletter sent out to their clients to update them.

Now, these benefits of having a website may seem obvious to most people. If they do, please do some word of mouth advertising, and point the unconverted in our direction.