Does My Business Need a Website?
Whether your business has gotten this far without a website or you are simply a business owner on the fence about a website- you need one. Does My Business Need a Website? The answer is Yes! And not just any website. You need a good website. A website that is professionally designed. The kind of website that has the potential to increase sales, catch leads, and set apart your brand. Your business needs a well-thought-out, optimized marketing strategy that has online, social, and mobile components.
You will need a strong online presence to stand out and compete effectively in today’s uber-competitive market. Perhaps, the most essential and most strategic way of achieving and commanding this kind of presence is by establishing a website for your business. I’ll tell you why. Your customers are searching.
On average, a customer will consult up to 10.4 sources before making any purchase. There has never been a more important time to invest in a website for your business. Suffice to say; it does not matter what industry you are in. Having a website is the key to unlocking your business’ success.
Why is it Crucial To Have a Website?
Here are seven important reasons why having a website for your business should be of utmost concern.
1. A website will help you achieve professionalism
Compared to companies that only have social media profiles, a website makes your business more credible and trustworthy. A website is a perfect place for showing off any professional certifications or awards your business has achieved over the years.
Having your website means that you can create branded email addresses that are specific to your business. Branded email addresses add a level of professionalism to all your correspondence.
In this age of business, most consumers expect businesses to have an online presence. Consumers are less likely to consider a business without a website. They view this kind of business as less professional. Because we live in a digital age, your website is your number one marketing asset.
2. Provides a platform to showcase your products and services
On average, Americans spend up to 23.6 hours online weekly. Having a website will act as your digital business card for your company. It is a platform that provides references for your products or services. If you want to be discovered where people spend most of their time, you must provide accurate information about your company’s products. This information is critical as people will reference it repeatedly for business data such as contact information, employees’ names, and services offered.
You can use your website to show potential customers what they will get through quality photography of the products and services you offer. Your website design and the featured images give people a sense of what it feels like to enter your physical location.
Additionally, publishing important information about your products and services will ensure that you attract the right customers.
3. A website makes your business more credible
First impressions are very key when it comes to convincing customers to purchase your product or services. A professionally and thoroughly designed website will help you more easily convey to potential buyers that you are a reputable organization. It can be very critical in ascertaining that you are a business they will want to work with. Often, consumers will make a judgment about your business based on the appearance of your website. So, make sure your website conveys all you want to sell and how you plan on selling it.
4. You can attract customers through Google
A well-optimized website will help your business improve its ranking for various search terms and attract a steady stream of new customers. The good thing is that there are several free SEO tools. These tools will make it easy to optimize your website without any prior training. What if you are already content with the current size of your business?
Well, every company eventually experiences customer turnover. For you to encourage and maintain continued success, you will need to attract new customers. One of the best ways to do so is by making yourself visible on Google.
Having a website is crucial if you hope to expand your business and bring in new customers.
5. A website provides a point of contact with your customers
Most businesses do not operate or communicate with customers after-hours. But with a website, you will be able to maintain a 24-hour service day in and day out. Essentially, this means that even if your staff is unavailable to interact with people looking to do business with you, your website is accessible. This way, it will provide useful information and serve as a point of contact with your customers. Some will even allow customers to make purchases or submit orders.
Go ahead and publish your contact information in a header or footer, so it appears on every single page. This way, your contact information will be easily available and accessible to potential customers.
6. A website establishes your place in the industry
The majority of small businesses have a presence online. If your competitors aren’t online already, chances are they probably will be soon. Building a high-quality website will help you establish yourself as a leader in your field. Even if your competitors are already online, building a distinctly unique website that shows potential customers what makes your company stand apart will be very useful.
Having a footprint online will help your business stay relevant and competitive within your field. It will help you cement your role as a forward-thinking, tech-savvy business.
7. A website will allow you to hone your company’s brand and image
While social media pages and peer review sites allow shaping your company’s image through public input, this does not always paint the picture you would prefer to see. A website allows you to create and manage your company site and content.
This way, you get to paint the picture you want of your business. Use your specific aesthetic, vocabulary, and more to hone your brand. A website is an ideal forum for you to shape the narrative about your business.
How do I Create a Website for My Business?
By now, the importance of having a website for your business is etched in your mind, right? How, then, do you go about designing one? Simple, yet, many find it tasking because they do not have what they need. Here are some tips that will help ensure that your business’s website functions optimally, looks well, and will attract leads and sales to help you bring in the business you desire.
1. Ensure your website is optimized for mobile
Today, most people prefer mobile devices for most online activities. Consequently, Google will penalize your website if it is not mobile-friendly when it comes to search rankings. Ensuring that your website is optimized for mobile is very key because people spend their online time on mobile devices.
2. Give it a professional look
How you build your website will largely determine its credibility. Giving your website design a professional look will ensure that you do not turn potential customers away. If you can, hire a professional designer to design the site. In the long run, this one-time investment may pay off big time.
3. Provide your contact details
You realize that one of your website’s key purposes is to create a point of contact, right? So, how do you achieve this? Statistically, close to 70% of local businesses do not have a clear call to action on their website. On the other hand, 27% do not even have a phone number on the home page.
How then do your potential customers contact you? Making your contact information such as your name, address, and phone number prominent and easy to find on your website will guarantee that your customers can get in touch seamlessly with your business.
4. Provide social media information
You will want to include feeds from your social media pages. This includes your Facebook posts, Tweets, and Instagram photos. Additionally, you will need to include links and follow buttons to your social media footprint to gain more followers. Ultimately, this will enable your visitors to share the attractive and informative pages you will have on your website pages.
Having a strong online, social and mobile marketing strategy is very critical, especially if you run a local business. A well-designed, optimized website will help you reach a new audience of potential leads. These potential leads may not only become your customers but may also become loyal ambassadors for your brand.
There- now you have all the information you need. One of the best investments you will ever make is setting up a website for your business. Understand the concept of website ownership right before you jump into it. Do not become one of the businesses that end up digging themselves in a hole because you have no idea about the jargon of web contracts. So, if you have come across any piece of information telling you that you do not need a website, turn away from it.
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