Although nowadays, it is obvious that you need to be on the Internet, there are still those who don't understand why. All they see is the added expense. In truth, you cannot afford NOT to be on the Internet. Here are the main reasons to have a Web site. I'll use a small golf course for this example.
1.
To establish a presence
There are hundreds of millions of people on the Internet. This number
is only going to get larger. Even if only .1% of the people on the Internet
are interested in your product or service, that's still a lot of people.
2.
To serve your customers
A golf course is a great fit for the Internet. Without tying up your
phone (and raising your bill), and without tying up you or a receptionist
to answer the phone, you can let prospective customers know your hours
of operation (weekday, weekend, twilight, etc.), course rules (attire,
carts, etc.), costs, pro shop offerings, and so on. I'm currently working
for a golf course that is setting up online tee time reservations. This
is obviously one of the best uses for the web that I've seen.
3.
To show off your course to prospective customers
The Internet is the perfect medium for showing off the beauty of your
course. In a pamphlet, you have room for a few pictures of golf holes,
while on the Internet, you could go so far as a course tour, with pics
of each hole. The more beautiful, the better.
4.
To serve your membership
A great idea for a golf course is to place information for the membership
on their site. This can range from monthly calendars to specific happenings
only for members. It can create more of a community feeling among members,
and isn't that what being a member is all about?
5.
To allow feedback from customers
For the people who only play your course once or twice, a testimonial
from them would make a great addition to your site. It may be just the
thing to convince another person to try it, instead of trying your neighbors
course instead. A feedback form can also privide other vital information.
If enough people complete the form, and complain about one particular
thing (such as the height of the rough), maybe you should reconsider
the height of the rough. Without a feedback form on your site, you would've
never thought of it.
As you can see, there are many reasons to have a web site. If done properly, your site should provide enough information to prospective customers, that they will not have to call and ask a question about anything. This will save you both time and money.
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