Business, Website Why does my small business need a website?
If your company doesn’t have an online presence you might be asking yourself “why does my small business need a website?” In this article we’re going to discuss 5 big reasons why you should already have a website. There are a lot of excuses that business owners have for not being online so we’ll discuss three of those as well, and show why you definitely should be online.
Nowadays it is very easy and affordable to have a website for your business, even a basic one. It is important to understand the benefits of being online with a hub for your existing and potential customers to visit and engage with your brand.
Bring in new customers
Sure, your business might have a steady flow of customers coming through the doors, but having a website gives you so much potential to reach new customers. Just as a physical store is the home of a brand, your website is the most important part of your online presence. All of the techniques you use to attract new customers should be leading them to an informative, helpful website.
A website is a great place for new customers to become familiar with your business before they make up their mind whether to visit your physical store or purchase your product. It’s a great way to show off what you have to offer and entice people to choose you. One survey found that 30% of people decide not to use a business if they don’t have a website. That’s a big chunk of potential customers to lose.
Provide a better experience for existing customers
If you already have a solid customer base you may not think you need a website. But there are many ways a website will improve the experience your customers have with your brand.
These days it is so easy and natural to seek answers on a mobile device. Imagine you own a restaurant and one of your regular customers is out buying groceries and decides they really cannot be bothered cooking. They already love your restaurant so you do not need to use marketing to convince them to dine with you. But in that moment they want to check your opening hours and see if you have any specials that day. Gone are the days when they would have to either go home to check the Yellow Pages or use their desktop computer. Now they can just look up your website and get all the information there, saving them time and hassle. 76% of people who look up something nearby on their smartphone will visit the business in the same day
Appear in search engine results
Utilizing Search Engine Optimization on your website will allow you to show up high on search engine results like Google or Bing. It is important to be searchable so that new and existing customers can find you when they are using relevant search terms on these search engines. If you are an organic burger joint in Portland, you’d want to show up on the first results page for someone searching “best burgers in Portland” or “where can I find an organic burger in downtown Portland?”. If your SEO isn’t good enough to get you onto the first results page, chances are that they won’t find you at all as 75% of search engine users won’t click onto the second page of results This has lead to the joke “the best place to hide a body is on the second page of Google”.
Create credibility
Offer 24/7 service and/or sales
Why does my small business need a website if I already have customers on social media?
Why should I spend money on a website when I already have enough customers?
We’ve covered a lot of reasons why a website is a great asset for any small business in this article. It might seem like a daunting task, especially if technology isn’t your forte, but don’t let that scare put you off. You’ll get a great return on investment with a website, and even the initial cost may surprise you. These days it is really simple to set up a website and really should be an important part of your business plan.
We make the process smooth and easy so you can look forward to final product. From start to finish, we’ll work with you to create a website that fits your needs and is tailored to attract the right audience to turn them into customers. Get in touch so we can get you online!