Not long ago, having a storefront location was good enough for a small business to survive, but that is clearly no longer the case in today’s society. Bottom-line fact is that if you do not have a website and, for certain companies, a mobile app, you are well behind the 8-ball.
The saying “location, location, location” has shifted from being about physical presence to being about where your business falls on search engine results and on mobile app rankings. I speak from experience as the owner of a law firm that operates out of my home, but is able to generate consistent business through online awareness, with few clients actually “coming through my door” in order to obtain my firm’s services.
Today, service based companies seem to be retained lesser so because of discounts and store signage, and instead due to the way that they are able to effectively and succinctly differentiate themselves from competition and oftentimes become best of class within their given niche, promoting same through online efforts. The new buzzword is “relevant” and entrepreneurs have embraced these new ways of doing business.