How do you shop for goods and services? Are you a sensory shopper, meandering from storefront to storefront, taking your time browsing and comparing? Or, are you more like a military missile strike, comparison shopping and purchasing at the speed of light? Whatever your personal approach, you’re certainly within the great big mixing bowl of consumers out there. And with so many different shopping styles out there, a business in today’s market can really benefit from offering a variety of entry points to their product(s).

There’s no question that the way we do business these days has changed rapidly throughout the past decade. Today, everything is at our fingertips with the click of a button — and that has served as the foundation for a widespread shift in our society’s expectations and behavior. It seems as though customers are constantly crying out for convenience, quality and speed. And with url addresses showing up on everything from business cards and billboards, to television and radio commercials, it’s pretty clear that more and more businesses are supporting that shift and welcoming the benefits of eBusiness.

So now, this poses some very pertinent questions for more traditional, brick and mortar business. Can we stay competitive soley as a brick and mortar business? How could my business profit from adding, or enhancing, an online component? When is the right time to make that type of investment? And how do I know how much to invest for the best return? Like the internet itself, the answers to these questions are full of countless possibilities — possibilities that can help to shape your future business growth.

To help get you some answers, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of building an eBusiness and how it could help your bottom line to sing…

I’ve got the world on a string…
Gone are the days of geographical limitations! Possibly the best advantage to conducting business online is the simple fact that the world is your audience. And with nearly 2 billion people using the internet globally, that can be a game-changer for your product or service.

Time after time…
Unlike a traditional brick and mortar business, eBusinesses are not ruled by a clock. Traditional work hours go right out the window with your website open for business all day, everyday, 365 days a year. The real beauty of this is that your business can keep right on making you money even while you sleep!

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu…
If your transition has you shifting entirely online, your business will certainly lighten it’s load by letting go of no-longer-needed overhead. Many of your expenses for things such as inventory, office supplies, equipment, and utilities will be greatly diminished as needed. Although it does come with new expenses, an eBusiness typically requires far less to run effectively than a brick and mortar business.

Easy like Sunday morning...
Whether it’s researching the best shampoo to use, or comparison shopping the hottest new fashions, consumers rely on the internet to guide and deliver. With so much information, products and resources right at your fingertips, finding whatever it is that you want or need online couldn’t be easier. And let’s be honest, when your business or product is more easily accessible to a larger audience, it has a far more potential for success!

Money, money, money, money, MONEY…
How does ‘additional revenue’ sound to you? Well, after your initial investment in a well designed, visible, and user-friendly website, your business should be in a position to greatly increase it’s revenue. And considering all of the factors we’ve discussed above, it’s really little wonder why!

As we’ve seen, delivering quality and convenience through reduced overhead can certainly grow your business. However, there are a few more critical things
to consider before launching your eBusiness.

Follow the yellow brick road…
As with any business venture, you need a solid road map if you want to succeed. Spend some time considering fixed and variable costs such as the investment to design, develop, and promote your new online presence. You also have to to remember to include things such as monthly hosting, maintenance, and submissions to search engines. As you take costs into consideration and plan out your road to success, don’t forget to also investigate your target market and your competition. What are they each doing online? Is your competition successful? What can you do better? How can you attract more customers? And while your weeding through these questions, don’t underestimate the power of communication. Talk to other business owners about their own experiences — first-hand advice can be very helpful!

Don’t you forget about me…
Every company is different in the way that it conducts business and interacts with it’s customers. One thing you should evaluate with regards to your specific business is how well your customers will take to a new online method of interaction. Will they ignore it, or flock to it? Do they want both online and in-person access? While much of your focus will be on launching a new point of entry for your business, you don’t necessarily want to forget about your original ones just yet. You will want to have a good understanding of how to best cater to your customer’s changing needs and behavior. Then take the time to answer these questions and thoughtfully consider the future of your original brick and mortar face.

You’re the one that I want…
Before embarking on any uncharted course, you need to choose an expert guide to help get you reach your destination. You’ll want to consider and select a web development firm that will work with you to produce the finished product that you both envision and need for your business. Do your due diligence by researching and interviewing — and choose the firm that you feel the best synergy with. Although it is always tempting to go with the lowest bid, you have to remember that these are the experts that you are relying on to help grow your business, and your decision should include much more than simply dollar signs. You always get what you pay for, and even though you should negotiate a budget that is right for you, make sure that you pick a team that can deliver the quality you want and expect.

With so many factors impacting you upon considering the launch of an eBusiness, it can certainly be daunting. However, if you take the time to do you homework, research thoroughly, and invest wisely, the decision has the potential of hitting just the right chord and landing your business at the top of the charts!