Monday, February 7, 2011

The Importance of Having a Webpage

Mike at www.michaelalanmiller.com writes:

If you run a small business and you do not have any sort of web presence, you are an idiot. There is just no other way to put it. If people can’t find your hours, your menu if you are a restaurant, if they can’t engage with you and find out a little about you, you are just screwing yourself over.
I couldn't agree more. When I’m selecting a restaurant, I usually use the information as to whether they have a website and how convenient to use it is as a way to determine whether this restaurant deserves being patronized. Every single time in my experience an absence of a website (or a really crappy, outdated one) is mirrored in the cooking, decor and service. People who are clueless as to the importance of a web-presence for their business are usually just as clueless about the fact that their business is in need of serious updating.

When I was looking for an academic position, I researched prospective employers in the same way. If the Department of Spanish has a sad-looking uninformative webpage that hasn’t been updated in a decade while the Business School has a webpage with every gadget imaginable, this is a great predictor of how the university administration feels about the relative importance of these two departments. 

1 comment:

Liese4 said...

I disagree with the website and restaurant combination. I have found many good restaurants and they have no websites. They are Mom and Pop variety or family owned and have been in business forever. They live by word of mouth, so no webpage is needed. I have also been to crappy restaurants who had amazing websites, I guess they spent more money on that than on their chefs and food.

And in case you're wondering where I find a restaurant without the Internet: I peruse the local newspapers, I drive and see them, I find them via friends or even TV channels (Man vs. Food.)

Are you near Champaign? If so try here, (they have a website!)

http://www.sevensaintsbar.com/index.html