In an increasingly competitive and fierce business atmosphere, almost any business must have a website. With greater access to the internet, 40 Million Filipinos go online daily (based on a recent food summit) to look for information first, before making any purchase or buying decision. Additionally, there are 11 million Filipinos abroad, who connect to families and loved ones back here in the Philippines via online, and hence, a business to optimize its potential must have a constant online presence and visibility, via its own website, as this is online information and products or services made accessible 24/7.
Reach and Accessibility
The Web has a far wider reach than a brick and mortar store. Also, it can disseminate information faster and more extensively than flyers, tarpaulins, billboards, and the like, not to mention being able to do so at any time of the day – it is information on demand. Having a website gives a business an exclusive online store and space to exclusively engage customers and allow customers to be more informed and to better appreciate a business’s products and services. An ordering-enabled website allows customers the access to a business’s products or services without having to wait for store hours, nor the limitation of hotlines.
Low-Cost Advertising
Advertising-wise, the Web again wins over any other media, with its extensive reach and low cost of having a website. A website also makes it easier to connect a business via social networks and forums.
Most Cost Effective Store
Having a physical store is very expensive nowadays – cost of rent, personnel, not to mention the limitation of store hours for business opportunities. Having a website, on the other hand, is very low in cost, almost nothing, yet enables businesses to maximize its business potential beyond store hours, especially if one’s website is “actionable” — a capability to capture advanced orders/reservations 24/7, and reach to more buying customers, providing a significant boost to a business’s growth potential. It is a win-win situation and business solution for entrepreneurs being at almost zero operation cost compared to a brick-and-mortar store, yet has a bigger potential as far as business hours and customer potential are concerned. The online store is a perfect complement to a business’s physical store.
A Free Website For Filipino Food Entrepreneurs
Having a website levels the playing field for Filipino food entrepreneurs. This is the best part, Filipino food entrepreneurs can now put their business online 24/7 via a free website with a far wider reach than the business’s locality. Where To Eat – Philippines aims to help the Filipino food entrepreneur to succeed in business, as this will impact the Philippine economy as well with a thriving and robust business climate.
Author’s bio: Hazel Christine Herber has worked for a US-based food ordering website company for 3 years. Seeing how it has helped a lot of restaurant businesses, she was inspired to bring the system here in the Philippines and is the Managing Partner of the company that operates http://wheretoeat-philippines.com. The system, though inspired by the US website, is 100% developed and owned by Filipinos with the aim of helping the Filipino food entrepreneurs and consequentially encourage a robust business climate in the Philippines.