Joe Ryder, (a)g

I am fascinated by the ease of use and the response time with LinkedIn’s Answers section. People are really understanding that discussion is improving clout, that there is a value in being an expert. I will be asking some questions and posting a review of the results over the next few weeks.

Today’s question: What is the most common reason small businesses are not online? (Click for discussion stream)

When this question was asked to the LinkedIn crowd, there were almost 20 responses within 24 hours. Each had some specific insight, but most gave this list as an average response:

1. Cost would be too high
2. Not enough technical knowledge
3. Doesn’t know anything/enough about the web
4. Too much effort/time
5. Not enough return
6. Content with current or lack of internet presence

Another comment by Jobs2VA.com focused on the “local” mentality of small businesses with a localized target market. They don’t see the need for a web site if they are advertising only to local people.

All of these myths are wrong, and are being addressed in my book. But let us briefly go over each of these major issues:

Cost too high

Perhaps if what you need is a custom-built application that has never been done before, or some sort of huge infrastructure platform required by your industry. But most web tools and sites can be done with open source software that is free or cheap to license compared to major brand or proprietary systems. If you are willing to put the time in, you can do it yourself sometimes for free. But to make sure you have a site or web-based tool that will do something else than just sit there, you will want to hire a professional, even if that is a trainer who teaches you how to use your own web site.

Not enough technical knowledge

You, the business owner, may not need to know anything about a web site, especially if you have a designer that is worth his or her salt. A good designer or consultant can focus on you explaining what you do best, which they will try to complement or support with their own efforts. Some web solutions are visual, with no real technical knowledge needed other than the patience to sit and learn the interface.

Doesn’t know anything/enough about the web

This is an issue if you want a web site that will have an interactive function with your business. But it is easily resolved: get online. Sound simple? Interestingly enough, there are plenty of small business owners, from agriculture to construction, that have no desire to learn computers but know they should be online. All it takes is a few sessions on a library computer or a class at the local community college. In Southwest Washington State, there are community organizations, such as local community centers, that offer classes from local trainers, sometimes for free, as a way to educate the public on computer use.

Too much time/effort

Compared to sales and offline marketing, web sites take up a fraction of the time and, if planned right, takes less time to implement and maintain. Your execution of a web plan will fail if it has no foundation of planning.

A great example I like to give people is the concept of a “webraising”. This is a project event held at Art Institutes locations where local nonprofits are given a web site in a day (actually, 8-12 hours at most) by a team of students. Like barn-raising – the community comes together to build a barn, usually with a goal of building it in one day – the event focuses on how to work efficiently and clearly as a team. Most importantly, it teaches that you have to use the three weeks prior to the event for careful planning and contingencies, especially seeing as you don’t get to talk to the client until the day of the event.

This is a great example of time and effort paying off, but implementation taking very little in comparison to the horror, months-long stories of bad planning and broken communication.

Not enough return

This is typically something said by a person who doesn’t know what kind of return to look for. The most common variations of this are, “I don’t see results in traffic stats,” and, “My business hasn’t made sales.” Without going into the study of marketing too much, the truth is there is only as much return as you put into a campaign. You could do one small thing and get tons of traffic, or you could do a bunch of big endeavors and get very little. It’s the thought behind it that you are investing and that will determine your return.

Again, don’t waste your time in design. 70% of your campaign should be spent in planning, with 10% actual design time and 20% post-production evaluation and maintenance.

Carol Wilcox of Wild Dove Marketing in Phoenix quoted Henry Ford during the Great Depression: “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.” Just because you don’t see an immediate return doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. If there is buzz around others getting a return, it means there is something there to consider.

Content with current or lack of internet presence

Stagnation is one thing, but small business owners really think that what isn’t broke doesn’t need to be fixed let alone improved. Why limit your business this way? Is it so bad that you might have to hire a new employee to handle all the business you take on with a new web site in place? That is how this economy is suffering, business owners unwilling to move forward without concrete guarantees on returns. If they are happy so far, why change, right?

Because you can improve your organization, because you can create new jobs and help this economy, because you owe it to those who need your services but can’t find them, and because downsizing from a bigger company than you are currently doesn’t seem so bad if you like where you are now; these are prime reasons to consider web ventures.

Even local businesses can integrate web sites into their marketing, even if all they do is reiterate what is passed around. More often, people are not doing business with companies who they don’t know, and a web site builds credibility (if done right). It’s also a way to circumvent the chance of being lost in a pile of advertisements on someone’s desk.

While most small businesses have reasons not to take on new web ventures, there are predominantly better answers to these “what-if” scenarios. And all roads lead to revenue if done right.

Thanks to Łukasz Wyrębek for starting us off , as well as Janet Till, David Farrell-Shaw and everyone else answering this question for giving us their insight.