A website isn’t an advertising investment, but it does compliment advertising efforts and will help immeasurably. Adverts are and remain the property of the advertising vendor, whereas a website is a communication and marketing tool that belongs to you. Adverts incur a revolving cost as long as they’re used; buy an ad for a specific amount of time and then it’s gone.
A website is a one-time payment (barring hosting fees), and allows the owner to use it continually, and mold and update it at will. It’s a company asset (similar to a telephone), which has the ability to reach a growing customer base that will remain hidden to you – unless you have one. It also offers your current customer base more information and, crucially more options to communicate with you.
Your web address can be included on all of your advertising, and also acts as a stamp of credibility, as increasingly the first port of call is usually an online check. As long ago as 2003, the Small Business Magazine (October Issue) stated their opinion that customers and other people who come into contact with a business expect to find a reputable representation on the web. They then summed by advising that credibility may be risked by a lack of web presence.
Nothing’s changed in this regard over the last 15 years. All of your advertising needs a hub – a landing point for interested parties. What do you look like online? Ask yourself honestly, would you use your service if you were a customer?