The short answer is absolutely.

A good website is essential for every business to reach its full potential, especially small-businesses and home-base businesses.

Over 70% of households in the United States have Internet access.

That percentage increases every year. Your competitors may have websites already, and if they don't now they probably will in the near future.

A business website is a powerful way to attract new customers.

Websites are interactive. They can easily include all the information that traditional print advertisements and listings contain, but they additionally do something significant that static ads cannot – they give consumers the power to browse several pages of content full of positive information about your business explaining why they should do business with you. Websites offer consumers easy access to your busniess's information - address, phone number, products, hours of opertation, your mission statement, and any other information you feel would help sell your products and services. Google maps links can also be added to lead customers to turn by turn directions right to your business. Customer testimonials can be made available for prospective customters to view.

More and more people are turning to the internet to find the products and services they need.

I am 32 years old. I don't subscribe to the local newspaper. I'll buy one once in a while, but I get most of my local and world news online. I only look in the yellow pages to find a business maybe 2 times a year, and even then I prefer to do business with those companies who have websites. Websites allow me to see who I am about to do business with and what they can do for me before I ever contact them. Many in my gerenation, and younger, are the same way. I go to the Internet to find what I'm looking for. It's faster, it's convenient, and I can even access it on my smart phone. Newspapers are becoming less read, and phone books are no longer the main source to find business information. I'm not saying you shouldn't use these venues to market your business, but imagine the power of newspaper and yellow pages ads accompanied by your business's website address.

Once a website is built, it generally costs very little to maintain – often less than $100 per year. Websites are the most efficient and most cost effective way to stretch your marketing dollars and get the biggest bang for your buck. Harness the power of the Internet with your own business website. Show potential customers who you are and why they should do business with you. By including your company’s website address when you advertise in the newspaper or yellow pages, a simple and less expensive ad can potentially become more effective than a full page ad. And don’t forget to write the cost of it off on you taxes as a marketing expense!