Did you know that, according to a survey by The Discover Small Business Watch, only 38% of small businesses have a business website or other online presence? Even in the Information Age, small businesses still have excuses for the lack of a Web presence.
  With apologies to David Letterman, here are the top 10 excuses that businesses have for not having a business website, and why there's no excuse anymore.

1. I didn't know I need a website.
   They say Ignorance is bliss, but it's no excuse.
   According to the U.
   S.
   Census Bureau, 70% of Americans use the Internet every day, and that number is growing.
   Younger and wealthier customers expect to see you online.
   Older folks, too, are discovering the Internet in droves.
   All of these people are potential customers.
   
2. It's too hard to make a website.
   Scared by style sheets? JavaScript making you jump? Having HTML horror? Don't even know where to begin? That's OK.
   The rise of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Web design tools mean that if you can use Microsoft office tools to do basic tasks, you can create a professional-looking business website.
   
3. I don't know how to make a website.
   Learning how to make a website for your business is easier than ever.
   If you're reading this, you're already on your way.
    
4. It takes too much time to make a website.
   Thanks to those same WYSIWYG tools, in the time it takes to watch the game on TV, you can create a website for your business.
   You can also update your business website on the fly.
   
5. It costs too much money to make a website.
   You don't really need to pay a lot to hire a fancy Web design firm, buy expensive software, or pay a lot to have your Web domain hosted.
   You can do all this yourself, and you can do them free of charge.
   Don't forget about the money (and trees) you save by printing fewer flyers and brochures, too.
    
6. My business isn't big enough to need a website.
   The Internet is one place where size doesn't matter.
   Your solo shop can play and win in the same arena as the Fortune 500.
   
7. I don't sell anything online, so I don't need a website.
   You may not be online, but your customers and competitors are online.
   If your customers are new in town or first-time buyers for your product or service, the first place they look is the Internet.
    
8. A website is too impersonal.
   Do you find yourself answering the same questions about your product or service? Do customers ask you for your Web address? Referring customers to your business website can save you and your customers time and aggravation.
   Plus, being online gives you credibility...
   others are online, why aren't you?
9. I already have a business website.
   The website you started with may have worked for you once, but is your business website still working for you? To find out, ask yourself these questions:

• How do I pay to design, host, and maintain my business website?
• When did I last update my business website?
• Am I pleased with my current business website?
• Does my website help my business put its best foot forward?
• How easy is it to make changes?
• How much traffic is my site getting?
• What are my competitors doing online?

I have brochures and advertise in the newspaper, on the radio, or on TV already.
Yes, these offline media are still powerful, but the Internet is just as powerful, if not more so, than traditional advertising.
A website promotes your business around the clock and around the globe for a fraction of the cost and time involved in old school media.
Also, it's easier than ever to see if your business website is giving you the most bang for the buck, thanks to Web tracking tools.