Smallshock

More times than I can remember, I’ll be driving down the road and will notice a vehicle in the next lane with a sign proudly displaying the name - and phone number - of a business that would love to have me as its next customer. Yet for some reason, there’s not a web site address to be found.

It makes me want to roll down the window and scream “Hey! Don’t you have a web site?”

There are only two explanations. Either the business doesn’t have a web site, or the sign doesn’t. Either one is unacceptable.

Let’s examine the latter first. It’s quite possible that the sign has been on the vehicle for years and it was a oversight. But should it have been? If your business has a web site, you likely want to get the word out as much as possible, right? You put it on your business cards, e-mail signatures, run ads in the local newspaper. Yet somehow the rolling billboard got neglected. How could this happen?

Fortunately, the fix is simple and not that expensive. Call around to your local print shops (or even search for ones online such as stickerguy.com) and find someone who can make you a sticker roughly the same width of your auto advertising with one word on it: your web address (example: yourwebsite.com). Slap one on all your company cars close to the sign and get your web site noticed.

But what if the business didn’t have a web site? Then I’d have to ask, “Why not?”

I don’t know how a business can afford not to have a web site anymore. It’s the cheapest form of advertising possible. It’s always a search engine search away and customers who aren’t comfortable calling to learn more can find out about your business from their favorite internet-connected device. Traditionally, that might be a home or office computer, but with mobile devices become more connected to the internet, it could, quite literally, be the guy sitting at the stoplight next to you.

Even if all you could afford is a web site with one page listing your hours, contact information, directions and a quick summary of your services, that would be enough to get a potential customer to take the next step. Especially if that same customer is using the web to research products or services like yours while your competitor has a web site and you’re nowhere to be found.

That doesn’t even include the word-of-mouth factor. Maybe I don’t need what your offering, but if it comes up in conversation with a buddy of mine who does, it’s possible that I’ll remember the web address and pass it on.

Your business can’t afford not to have a web site, and it definitely can’t afford not to have it displayed on as much of your promotional material as possible.

Is your business missing out on getting the word out?

I love small businesses.

My experience with small businesses started in my teens. My father had a dream of running an ice cream truck similar to what he remembered from his youth. He put in countless hours running a vintage Cushman scooter with a musical horn on top and a freezer in back all over our small town in Kansas. With the support of his wife and two children who were very interested in his product, he would come home from his day job and then head out to make his dream a reality for several years. He had a pretty good run and then moved on to other things.

It wasn’t until several years later that I would realize what made the small business experience so exciting when I became a freelance web designer.

There’s something thrilling about being a small business owner. From the minute the doors are unlocked and the sign reads “open,” the heat is on. The burden to establish, develop and grow into a profitable, sustainable entity rests firmly on your shoulders. At the end of the day, your ability to make all the pieces fit is limited only by your imagination, drive and ability to learn from your mistakes.

I love web sites.

There’s no shortage of resources for web designers. I could list web sites, books, magazines, industry leaders, podcasts, and much more that cater to nearly every need of web designers. And while we designers might be an educated lot, we’re not always the best at educating those who use our resources about what we know and how it can make their business even better.

There’s no shortage of resources on how to run small businesses either. But my experience working with clients has taught me there’s a void that needs to be filled: small business owners aren’t aware of the tools and best practices that can maximize the potential of their web sites, and ultimately, help their business grow.

That’s where Smallshock comes in. I want to bridge the information gap between small business owners and their web sites. I want you to have the resources to enhance your web presence, and maximize how your web site can benefit your small business.

Thank you for reading. Let’s shake things up.

Eric J. Gruber