Here's the thing. Your digital presencematters. Why, because that's how people in today's age find what they want. Askyourself, have you ever been looking for a good place to eat when you're out oftown, or maybe you just moved and didn't know the area very well. Where do yougo to find the nearest Chinese joint that the first day you moved in? Probablyright to your phone, for a quick search, to see where the closest deliveryoption is. Who's most likely to get the sale, clearly the one online because thecustomer had seen all their options in one place, with pictures to showcase theproduct.

You might be the very bestjoint in town, but if you aren't online, you're missing a lot of new customersthat could become regulars. Word of mouth is great—until it's not. You're goingto miss every customer who's new in town. You're going to miss that extrapurchase from the new family that just moved in down the road until they hearabout you from a co-worker three months later. That's three months that havegone by without a single sale to someone that might have already beenconsidered a regular much sooner. That's wasted money that pays the bills andkeeps your business running.

Ifyou're running a business, it thrives on customers. Without customers, youdon't make money, and you can't keep your business open. The more customers youhave, the more money you make, and they more you can do for your company. Wordto mouth was great when we didn't have the Internet. But now we have somethingcalled an online presence, which only enhances your marketing opportunity. Withan online or digital presence, you can reach more people you might not havereached otherwise and with minimal effort.

You'reonly human. You can't stay awake all day, every day. An online presence letsyou showcase your brand 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. That way, you candream up all those new ideas on making your business that much better.

Let'sface it; it's either you or them. When people search for the best boutique intown, they're going to the one that showcases its brand. What kind of productsdo you offer? If there's nothing to see, why should the potential customerwaste their time? Why travel to you when they found a great little shop, with awebsite, showcasing their services and products? If you want people to pick youover your competitor, you first have to get them to your shop, and there's nobetter way of doing that than showing them why they should come. And you can'tshow them much of anything if you're not present where they're looking—online.