THE BENEFITS: A properly constructed website can allow you to:
- REACH
a broader audience of new/potential customers
- ESTABLISH & MAINTAIN stronger customer relationships
- KEEP product information current for customers to see
- PROMOTE current and/or seasonal specials
- POSITION yourself as the local ‘go to’ place for good food
- GIVE people NO reason to shop elsewhere for similar products
A website can increase your profile as a source of good food products and as a merchant who cares enough about customer needs to take that extra step to keep them informed and up to date on your segment of the food business. In short, a good website can protect and increase your share of the available business in your trading area.
HOW DO I GET A WEBSITE?
It's easier than you might think. There are 3 basic components to having a website, and they are:
- A domain name - The www.mystore.com address that identifies you on the internet)
- A web hosting service - An Internet Service Provider that keeps your website files on its server and makes them available to everyone on the Internet.
- A competent web designer - A person or company who can blend technology with good marketing techniques to build customer value into your website. The web designer should have a strong grasp of business in order to translate your products or services into solutions that intelligently address customer needs.
IS A WEBSITE EXPENSIVE?
Like anything else, it can be
but it doesn't have to be. It all depends on how you do it. Please read on...
THE TRADITIONAL WAY - Top Level Domain
You can choose to have your own stand-alone domain name and put it out there on the Internet. This is known as a ‘
top level domain’ setup and it works extremely well for many companies.
This package would cost between $700 and $1,200 for the first year, including website creation, first year hosting, and domain name purchase. There would also be costs for website changes & updates after the initial site creation.
After the first year, annual costs would be limited to website hosting ($359.40), domain name annual fee ($25 for
.com, $35 for
.ca), plus changes & updates.
For an example of a top level domain website, please go to
www.goodnessofgarlic.com.
A LOWER COST ALTERNATIVE - Second Level Domain
For smaller businesses, we have developed a cost-effective website plan that works. It is known as a ‘
second level domain’ setup. For an example of this type of website, please go to
www.johnthebutcher.goodeating.ca.
A second level domain is ideal for a small business, not only because of lower cost, but it also offers the advantage of ‘piggybacking’ on a website designed to attract a bigger audience with specific interests - in this case, the interest is GOOD FOOD and the website is this one - www.goodeating.ca. Of course, your website would remain independent of any others that would appear on our directory so that people could find it either directly or through this website.
HOW MUCH?
Second Level Domain Setup:
- Web Hosting $98 per year.
- Web Design $285. This one-time cost includes a basic 3 page website with photos and/or graphics supplied by you.
That's less than $400 for a professionally-designed website that will be working for you 24/7 all year long. At $7.37 per week, every week of the year, that is reasonably-priced advertising by anyone's standards. And don't forget, those costs are only for the first year.
After the first year, you'll be paying for the hosting which, at current rates, is $98 per year (or, $1.88 per week). You should expect to make changes or upgrades to your website to keep it current, but these are not major costs. (See
Note below)
- Applicable taxes not included in the above prices.
- Billing and hosting is done by 100 Mile Netshop.
- Web design work done by CommonSense Marketing.
- Prices effective August 2009 and are subject to change without notice.
Note: Prices for website updates and changes depend on the frequency and nature of the changes. We usually work with clients to set up a procedure that will keep these costs to a minimum, as we suggest regular changes - as necessary - to keep the site fresh. An example of a change would be something like "Special of the Month."
SO WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP?
If you think year round advertising on the Internet might benefit your business, or
if you have any questions on first or second level domain websites, please feel free to drop us a line. You can email us at:
GoodEating.ca - Attn: Lloyd McTaggart
We are quite familiar with operating a small business, so we are sensitive to important issues like keeping costs down and getting the maximum ‘bang for the buck’.
We look forward to hearing from you!
