While having lunch earlier this week with some colleagues, I was reminded of how important websites are, especially for small firms.
One of my dining companions, an accountant, was talking about selecting referrals. When he gets a list of referrals for a service, he decides which one to use by visiting each of their websites. If the site isn’t substantive, or doesn’t demonstrate the expertise of the company or individual, he crosses it off the list. Just like that.
To me, this exemplifies not only the importance of websites, but also the significance of an online presence for small firms. The internet truly is the great equalizer: It enables a small firm with a well-built website—a site that showcases the firm’s expertise through staff biographies, case studies, publications, etc.—to compete with much larger firms (particularly if those firms’ web presence is weak).
It’s a lesson we at Berbay have learned well—but it’s still good to be reminded of from time to time. If somebody were choosing a referral from a list of you and your competitors based on your website, would they choose you?
-By Berbay Principal Sharon Berman
