I'm shocked how few businesses have live websites

DarrenKK

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I'm not replying with help, but a connected comment...
I'm shocked how few businesses have live websites. I'm talking in particular about restaurants and tourists spots generally. Go to Tripadvisor to look such businesses up and there's often a link out to a facebook page or website that are dead.
Why is that?
 
I'm not replying with help, but a connected comment...
I'm shocked how few businesses have live websites. I'm talking in particular about restaurants and tourists spots generally. Go to Tripadvisor to look such businesses up and there's often a link out to a facebook page or website that are dead.
Why is that?
Because its too expensive.
Updating a real website is something that only very large companies do here in Argentina.

Everybody uses what is free and easy- instagram, and whatsapp.

I have known someone who bought an apartment completely on whatsapp except for the actual closing, and many many businesses I deal with, some even wholesale or manufacturers, only have an instagram or facebook page.

Even in the USA, I know many restaurants without websites, and, more and more, without phone numbers- you must text or whatsapp or message, no live phone answering.

Its the 21st century, like it or not.
 
I'm not sure what significance you attach to this being the 21st century but all else is noted and appreciated.
Even when I go to, let's say, a restaurant's Instagram page, I'm still surprised how many don't have recent pictures of the menu. If they haven't got a website or other online communicative space then Instagram is an easy way to show the menu. Any many do not.
For what it's worth I'm a long time Argentinophile (Is that a thing?) but haven't been for far too long and I land on 4th November and can't bloody wait!!
 
I'm not sure what significance you attach to this being the 21st century but all else is noted and appreciated.
Even when I go to, let's say, a restaurant's Instagram page, I'm still surprised how many don't have recent pictures of the menu. If they haven't got a website or other online communicative space then Instagram is an easy way to show the menu. Any many do not.
For what it's worth I'm a long time Argentinophile (Is that a thing?) but haven't been for far too long and I land on 4th November and can't bloody wait!!
I echo this. For me it’s a strong sign (whether misplaced or not) that a place isn’t worth visiting or doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t have Facebook and I’m not going to make an account to browse a restaurants menu
 
yeah, it's often disappointing how little effort some places spend on ensuring the basics are easily found online.

i think part of it is the pandemic really pushed forward e-commerce and internet connectivity for small businesses and restaurants in BA. i think a lot are still getting used to the level of expectation.
 
The largest change in the last 20 years has been the cell phone/internet.
And the people who were born since 2000 comprise a third of the world population.
The amount of people who do all their business on a cell phone is probably well over 50%.
The way things change is based on those demographics.
When Whatsapp went down earlier this year, in India, for less than 24 hours, hundreds of millions of dollars were lost by small businesses who use whatsapp exclusively for all ordering, shipping, and billing.
Me, I grew up with dial landline phones, and writing checks and mailing them, but to do business I have had to change with the times.
Many people today know no other way, and are perfectly used to doing everything on the phone.

Even in the USA, menus online are a pretty hit or miss thing.
Especially with single location non-chain restaurants.

Here, with pretty constant inflation, the idea of putting a lot of work into a menu is a non-starter, for most places.
The QR code menu is here to stay, and it will keep growing.
Its fast, its free, and its easy to change.
And many restaurants dont want to get pinned down with prices online, because when they change, as they do, frequently, then you have to argue with customers who saw the lower price online.

The demographic of people who wont visit because of this is small, and shrinking.
When I am in restaurants, I see argentines of all ages whipping out their phones and QRing the menu.
It is true that the pandemic changed the amount of stuff that has transfered from real to online.

I have noticed this with the governments, both in the USA and in Argentina- almost everything I need to do is now done online- I voted in the USA, and changed the name on my Edesur account recently, both 100% online.
My personal website is probably 3 years out of date now, and it would end up costing me at least $500- $1000 just to do the minimum updates. I see this happening more and more.
Its not a matter of not understanding the internet- its a matter of business seeing what works profitably in todays digital environment.
The dropping of phone answering by restaurants in the USA is being led by the most expensive, most popular, most successful restaurants. But McDonalds doesnt answer the phone either.
 
Not entirely related but why do some restaurants shut between 4 and 8? It seems really odd to me. Surely enough people want to eat during this time
 
8? it used to be 9.
Argentines eat late. My argentine friends always whine if we try to eat as early as 8. They usually just show up late, and get there 9ish, then drinks. Eating at 10 to 1 in the morning is traditional.
In the 15 years I have been here, I have seen some of these traditions budge, just a bit.
But you still will hardly ever see anyone eating while walking, for example.
Argentines sit to eat.

But there are plenty of places open all day. Most bars. Some quite fancy places, like Narda Comedor, some quaintly traditional, like Rodi Bar in Recoleta.
Hungry people can always find food in Argentina.
In fact, you can usually find food on the street in Argentina.
The restaurant below my apartment packages up the stuff that wont last, every day, and leaves it out for hungry people to pick up, free.
This is pretty common, as is restaurants feeding homeless people for free, and people buying pizzas to go for the homeless people who sit on the sidewalk in my barrio.
 
Because its too expensive.
Updating a real website is something that only very large companies do here in Argentina.

Everybody uses what is free and easy- instagram, and whatsapp.

I have known someone who bought an apartment completely on whatsapp except for the actual closing, and many many businesses I deal with, some even wholesale or manufacturers, only have an instagram or facebook page.

Even in the USA, I know many restaurants without websites, and, more and more, without phone numbers- you must text or whatsapp or message, no live phone answering.

Its the 21st century, like it or not.
Fortunately, I'll be dead in 30 or fewer years. Immortality would be hell, just trying to keep up with all this nonsense. Don't even get me started on QR codes.
 
Fortunately, I'll be dead in 30 or fewer years. Immortality would be hell, just trying to keep up with all this nonsense. Don't even get me started on QR codes.
This is all part of the master plan. By the time you get old, so many things bug you that you're ready to die. I'm ready, and I'm not even 70 yet.
 
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