GWBO Bite Size Interviews - Bisnet talks websites

We interviewed Bisnet, a Google Agency Partner for the Getting Welsh Business Online Initiative, on the benefits of having a website for your businesses.

Bisnet is a free and independent ICT service provided by Caerphilly County Borough Council to help local businesses apply IT solutions both in the office and online.  Bisnet works with a range of local partners including web developers, designers, copywriters, PPC, SEO and social media experts.  Bisnet also manage IT projects specialising in digital business networks.

What's the advantage of having a website for your business?

A business website is your shop window to potential customers worldwide.  Your website should showcase your products/services and represent your business personality. Getting your business online will help you find more customers from both your local area and on a national scale.  New and existing customers can find out about your products and services 24 hours a day 7 days a week, even when you're shut. 

What impact can being online have on your business? 

A local fashion shop recently set up an eCommerce shop to begin selling products online - he now receives orders from all over the world and runs competitions on social media sites.  His website is a vital business asset when many high street stores are struggling to survive.


How much can you grow online? 

A local sports product manufacturing business developed an eCommerce site in late 2011 - not only is business booming but they have also been approached by an international company regarding developing a franchise for the business.  Without a website these links would have never been made and the opportunity for business growth would have been missed.


What other advantages does being online have?
Your suppliers may be closer than you think!  A local animal feeds business set up a website to find customers and in turn received a call from a local packaging supplier on a nearby industrial estate. In the past they had been importing their packaging supplies from Northern Ireland but getting online meant they made a new connection, improved their environmental impact and cut down their overheads.

What's your advice to businesses who are thinking of setting up a website for the first time? 

Research your competitors, see what works well for them and what doesn't. Think about the image of your business and how you want to present yourselves. Make sure you can control the content and make changes in the future.  Speak to local companies about their experiences.  Contact local developers to get more ideas and research your competitors sites for existing functionality and tips.