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November 10, 2008

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WITHOUT AN ONLINE PRESENCE, business owners miss out on a big marketing opportunity – and sometimes even bigger bucks.

Many consumers turn to the web when making buying decisions about both on- and offline purchases. In 2007, for example, every $6 spent offline was influenced by research a consumer did on the web, according to a recent report from market-research firm JupiterResearch.

"A web site is your business card as well as your storefront," says Nancy A. Shenker, chief executive of theONswitch, a marketing firm in Westchester, N.Y. But building that virtual storefront can be costly. According to Ciplex, a professional web design firm in Los Angeles, a static five-page web site starts at $3,000. Add in ecommerce capabilities and the tab can run as high as $10,000. And professionally-designed sites with all of the trimmings — including social networking and publishing tools — can clock in at $100,000 to $200,000.

Business owners don't have to break the balance sheet just to get online, however. Here are three inexpensive ways to build a web presence:

Do It Yourself

Even though she doesn't know a lick of programming, Monika Morris, co-founder of Tenders Beverage Catering, which supplies bartenders and wait staff for special events, still managed to build her own web site. Not only that, but she got TendersBeverageCatering.com, up and running for under $7 a month.

Morris did so by turning to Intuit Websites (formerly known as Homestead) where she purchased her domain name, gained access to five easily-customizable web pages and 25 megabytes of storage space. The instructions on how to build the site were clear and customer service was just a phone call away. “I built the site within 26 hours,” she says. Now the site "easily accounts" for 75% of her company’s sales.

Even though Morris pays a monthly fee for Intuit to host her site, many businesses don't have to pay anything (personalized email addresses and ecommerce capabilities usually cost extra). Google (GOOG), for example, provides free sites to businesses at Google Sites. Other free hosting services include: Freewebs, Weebly, Microsoft's (MSFT) Office Live Small Business and SynthaSite. One thing to note: These free sites may require you to run their advertisements and place their toolbars on your site.

Bartering

Don't feel as confident in your web design skills as do-it-yourselfers like Morris? Try establishing a barter relationship with a web developer. Judith Wendell, founder of Sacred Currents, a feng shui advisory firm in New York, took this route after meeting Kathy Canfield Shepard, a Berkeley, Calif.-based developer. In exchange for Shepard’s web development expertise, Wendell agreed to work her feng shui magic on Shepard’s apartment. As the web site progressed and needed updates, the two entrepreneurs figured out other tasks Wendell could do for her. “I helped her in her new place in Berkeley and she helps me keep things going on my site,” says Wendell.

To find a developer to exchange services with, visit bartering web sites like SwapThing, Joe Barter and Trade A Favor. Keep in mind that bartered transactions are taxable and what you trade online may need to be reported on your company’s tax returns.

Outsourcing

For those who want a site with lots of bells and whistles like social networking, then outsourcing the site’s development abroad may be the most inexpensive path. Mike Ford, founder of TownConnect, a Boston-based social network for suburban families, paid a couple web developers in Brazil $3,000 to build his web site's blog. If he were to use developers in the U.S., he says, the same project would cost $5,000 to $10,000. Ford did encounter a bit of a language barrier. However, Ford says it was one hurdle that was easily overcome. “It’s more cost effective to learn another language than to hire people locally,” he says.

To find web developers overseas, try visiting sites like Serebra Connect, Guru.com or Elance.com. These sites enable developers to bid against one another for projects and often allow those who are doing the hiring to peruse the developer's portfolio and check out previous employer reviews as well.

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