The internet has changed the way we do business. The Yellow pages are no longer the first place you need to be listed as an aspiring brand. These days, your main priority should be how high you’re ranking on search engine listings. Whether it’s through social media promotion or a casual Google search, more customers are finding their new favorite brands online.
So, what does this mean for you?
You need to stake your claim in the market.
No matter how big or small your business may be at present, you need to have an online presence. Otherwise, you could be seriously hampering your brand’s potential without even realizing it.
Here are 8 reasons why your business needs a website.
1. To Find and Maintain an Audience
Almost everyone is online now. Whether it’s through their laptop or smartphone, everyone browses the internet all the time. This means there’s an enormous amount of people who are looking for services they need online, one of which could be yours. If you don’t have a site, you squander this opportunity entirely.
You don’t need a flashy and expensive homepage; you just need a clean layout and organized web presence, which affordable website design services will give you. Think of creating a website as placing a poster on the digital noticeboard. Your website is your way of saying ‘Hey, here’s our business, and this is how we could help you.’
2. Improve Your Reputation/Credibility
There are some pretty stunning statistics about how consumers use the internet to search for services. A staggering 84% of consumers believe a brand is more trustworthy if it has its own website when compared with businesses that solely having a social media page.
To earn your customers and keep them interested, you need a good reputation. Consumers aren’t going to purchase from a brand they don’t trust. Your website is the first impression you have with customers. If you have no website at all, it can give the impression of laziness or a lack of commitment. Neither of these qualities inspires a purchase.
3. Expand Your Business Horizons
It isn’t just about expanding your customer base; having a website will also help you broaden what your business is capable of. Whether you’re offering subscription-based services or specific products for sale, the more money you generate in profits can put directly toward diversifying your brand. This could be the introduction of new products to your existing line or what you need to set up a new line.
The key takeaway: owning a website can dramatically increase your revenue, allowing you to explore new opportunities.
4. You Don’t Need to be a Tech Wizard
Website building is no longer exclusive to individuals with degrees in coding. You don’t need to know the full ins-and-outs of HTML to launch a website.
It’s never been easier for people to learn how to code and offer affordable website design services. There are many small business web designers that can design and host your site for you. We wrote an article on how to build your own website recently and highly suggest you check it out before making a decision.
5. Centralize Your Brand Identity
Before you can build a strong consumer base, you need to have an established identity. Your customers need to know what your brand is all about and who your products are for.
There is no better way to showcase your brand’s identity than through a website. With a mixture of text and media, you can establish a unique community that supports your ethics.
6. Some Customers Exclusively Shop Online
The rise of online shoppers has been overwhelming for years now, but 2020 has brought a surge. Due to COVID-19, revenue growth for online businesses in the U.S. has increased up to 68%.
One of the most significant impacts is changes in how we make purchases. Online shopping has become essential during the pandemic, and some may convert to full-time online shoppers after it’s over.
There will come a time when we can visit physical stores once more, but the habit of online shopping is now firmly ingrained in many. Don’t miss out on potential future customers simply because you didn’t take the necessary step of establishing a website for your business.
7. It’s The Best Way to Advertise Your Products/Services
No one knows more about your business than you do. You know who your products/services are for, what problems they solve, and your target demographic. There is no better way to advertise this information to the exact audience you want it to reach than through the use of a website.
Through your website, you can explain the specifics of your business that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to through social media alone. You can go into more depth and answer specific questions your customers may have. Read our article on how to grow your business online in 2020!
Social media can be great for outreach, but a website provides an all-in-one point of reference for potential consumers.
8. You Can Utilize Search Engine Features to Promote Your Brand
As the internet and its many websites have developed over the years, so have search engines. They’re no longer used solely to provide answers to obscure questions. These days, they play a significant role in both locating a business and deciding whether its services are worth the money.
An astonishing 91% of consumers admit that they will use search engines to research a purchase before making a decision. In addition, tools like Google Analytics allows you to view key data on who is visiting your site and which specific pages they are most drawn to. This information is invaluable when deciding how to improve upon your website.
Bottom Line
Eight reasons should be enough to convince you that it’s time to invest in affordable website services. Whether you sell products through an in-person boutique or offer services and need to connect with more customers, your website will serve as your business’s online hub. It connects you with customers you’d never have access to otherwise.
However, we know that not everyone is skilled at website design. If you feel like you need advice on starting your website or improving upon your current site, contact us today for a free consultation! Our small business web designers can help take your online presence to the next level.
