One of the greatest things about having a Web site for your business is that it lets people get answers to dumb (but important) questions. It’s a win-win: They don’t have to look dumb in front of anyone, and you don’t have to answer the same questions over and over.

Before we dive into the nuances of online community and social media, lets take a step back and ask: Is your business’s Web site answering the questions that your customers, and more importantly, your potential customers, are asking? (For now, we’re going to skip e-commerce and the actual buying and selling of things from your site.)

Since honest self-criticism can be hard to come by, it’s helpful to look outward: When you’re on somebody else’s business Web site, what are you looking for? And are you getting it?

Are They Making It Hard for People to Get In?

It being 2008, I’m especially distressed when I see a business that still insists on using an animated Flash intro. It’s like parking a marching band directly in front of your front door — you’re putting barriers between you and your customer, and getting in the way of the information they’re looking for. (If you absolutely must have a Flash intro, have a prominent “skip intro” button.)

Is It Easy for Me to See, Send and Share Content?

For me, even worse than a site with a Flash intro, is a site built entirely in Flash, or any other technology that makes it hard (if not downright impossible) for me to:

* Copy-and-paste text (say, to drop into an e-mail)

* Link directly to a specific page on the site (so I can IM a link, or bookmark a specific page to come back to later)

* Use the browser to search for content within the page

While these days, search engines are doing more to index Flash content, and folks always have justifications for using Flash, if I can’t do those three things, my happiness with the site is going to go way down. (To say nothing of accessibility, folks with less capable browsers, and loading times. We all hate waiting.)

Are They Answering the Questions I Came to Ask?

Here’s the heart of the matter: The dumb questions everyone wants to know, the very basic information you’d see in a traditional Yellow Pages ad:

* What do you actually, you know, do? Are there specific brands you carry or services your provide?

* What are your business hours? When do you open and close? (Don’t forget holidays hours.)

* Where are you located, and how do I get there? (How about driving directions, parking, and public transportation?)

* What’s your phone number? How else can I get in touch with you if I have other questions?

And because this isn’t a Yellow Pages ad, but rather a Web site you control (with all the space you need), you can also answer:

* Is there anything unusual going on I need to know about? (For example, my gym had a fire a while ago — they used their Web site to keep people updated on repairs. Or maybe you’ve got specials people can take advantage of.)

* What else do I need to know? (Are there any requirements, restrictions, or special features: dress code, cash only, pet friendly, languages spoken, etc.)

* What resources do you have that will make me a better customer?

All this is the blocking and tackling for a small business web site, telling customers the “who, what, where, when, and how” of things.

As merely an average consumer, I’ve no doubt missed some things — please let me know what has and hasn’t worked for your business Web site.

Next, the part where social media and community tools come in, is giving people a “why”: Why they should do business with you.

Not too long ago I interviewed Jeff Crites in regard to his passion for Open Innovation. Open innovation is the process of gathering ideas from customers & employees to better improve a company’s products & resources. Dell has been using IdeaStorm for awhile.

Network Solutions has made the commitment to gather your ideas! We are proud to announce:

IdeasArePower.com was created to provide a place for your input. But it’s so much more than that!

- Post your ideas – tell us what you think!

- Vote for the best ideas

- Talk – discuss the ideas & share

And the ideas don’t get all mixed up. You can read & review in the following categories:

- Business Solutions

- Education/Support

- MySolutionSpot.com

- Offers & Pricing

- Products – Domains, E-mails, Online Marketing, Online Store, Web Hosting, Web Sites, Website security,

- Storefront Accounts & Usability

Take a look at IdeasArePower.com & let us know what you think! We’re looking forward to your ideas!

Ramon Ray is a Technology Evangelist & Editor. His site Smallbiztechnology.com has a wealth of information for small business owners. Technology is so much a part of our life & the articles on his site offer something for everyone!

After browsing Ramon’s informative site I had the opportunity to ask him some questions:

Connie: What do you see as the biggest challenges that small businesses face in the economic downturn?

Ramon: I think keeping their current customers & finding how to add value with their current customers. Getting new customers & cash flow will also be factors to consider.

Connie: Do you feel that brick & mortar businesses should have an online presence?

Ramon: ABSOLUTELY. There’s no question about it. They must and it should be HIGH quality.

Connie: What advantages do you feel that brick & mortar businesses have by being online?

Ramon: They can better service existing customers (online coupons, basic contact information; buy online and get in store…etc, etc, etc)

Connie: Are there any opportunities that they should be leveraging in this economic downturn?

Ramon: For sure, marketing to their customers with ‘sales’ type information for some customers and “INFORMATION” (how to and etc) for other customers

Connie: How do you feel about small businesses utilizing social media tools to promote themselves?

Ramon: They must CONSIDER social media and see if it’s right for them. Social media is still a bit new but must be considered. Where are there customers? Online? If so, they must also be online!

Connie: Are you writing about those technologies & to what extent?

Ramon: I do indeed. At first social media was a “toy” or something for “consumers” but it is clearly a tool for business. It’s all about GO WHERE YOUR customers or potential customers are!

Here is a sampling of the great articles you can find at Smallbiztechnology.com:

Christmas & Thanksgiving: It’s Not Too Early To Prepare

Constant Contact Raises the Bar. Emails As Web Sites.

How to choose your Software as a Service (SaaS) Provider

There are also many helpful articles at My Solution Spot.com

Check out his blog then tell us what topics you’d like to see us write about here? What interests you?