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There are many reasons for wanting a website and a site can fulfil many different roles:

Business Card

In today’s business world not having a website is almost like not having business card. Companies without a site are almost suspect. The advantage of a website is that it is an unchanging contact point which can allow people to find you even if other contact details alter.

Portfolio

Many freelance creatives or even creative companies may get business based on their past work. Being able to display a large selection of past works at a low cost could bring in work more easily and more cheaply than other mediums.

Sales Brochure

A website is an excellent way to present information about your company because it allows visitors to home in on the information that interests them without wading through the parts that do not. It can also be kept up-to-date without printing costs or brochure inventory issues such as wastage. And no one has to wait for the post to get to the site.

Posturing

One of the nice things about the internet is that it levels the playing field in a number of areas. Smaller companies can use a good site to project their professionalism and appear much larger than they actually are. Clients often want to deal with more established suppliers and a website can help reassure them.

Communication

Unlike most other media, the web can be interactive. From enquiry and feedback forms at one end through to on-line surveys and discussion groups. Interactivity can drive visitors to your site and get them to return.

Shop

An on-line shop could be a good way of testing a market for a new product without the overheads and risks of a bricks and mortar shop. Or if you already have an established shop, an on line shop allows you to reach new customers or give existing customers a choice of whether to visit or order on-line.

Special Interest

You may have a cause or an event or some other thing that could be presented via a web site.

Most sites will fall into one of these categories or even combine these roles. You should be sure what your objectives are before you start so that the site can be built to maximise the results that you want.

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