Why Your Business Needs a Website
A website is one of the most essential components of your online success. Your website is the virtual equivalent of a physical company in the real world. It is of great importance that you leave a lasting impression on the visitors who land on your page. If your website does not convey professionalism, credibility, and great quality, even though your business provides excellent services and/or products, customers may associate the quality of your website with the quality of your work.
Here are the top five reasons why your business needs a professional website:
1. A website is the anchor for marketing.
Before you print a business card or spend any money on advertising, you need to start marketing by building a website. A website will act as an anchor for all of your advertising efforts. Your website should be the home of all business details, product information and promotions first. Then, you can start creating marketing material that falls in line with your domain name, which will drive traffic to your website for additional information.
2. A website builds credibility.
Nothing is more important than the ability to be found. If you don’t have an established online identity, customers won’t be able to find you. Not showing up in the search engines (or on the Internet at all for that matter) is one of the fastest ways to lose credibility as a business. Happy customers are quick to share what they think about your business, but what about their friends who don’t know about your business yet? They’ll take to the Internet. And when they come up empty handed, you’ll have missed your chance for new customers.
3. Be where your clients are.
While you might already have an established customer base, a website is a guaranteed way to connect with new customers who might be unfamiliar with your business. Consumers are likely turn to the internet when they have a problem. Searching for solutions is easy, but is your business a possible problem solver? With a professional website, you position your business as a solution for your customers’ needs. The Internet has allowed businesses to break through geographical barrier, enabling them to become more accessible, from nearly any country in the world by a prospective customer with Internet access. It is far more convenient for a person to research a product on the Internet than it is to get in a car, drive somewhere and ask someone for information on a product, this will expose your business to new customers.
4. Sell your products/services online.
Research found that there were 191.1 million Internet shoppers in 2013, and that the projected number for 2018 is 215.1 million. If a business does not have a website, it has closed the door to a huge number of potential customers. Your website acts as a digital brochure, sharing up-to-date information about product and/or service offerings. Think of your website as a 24-hour sales staff. It provides answers to frequently asked questions and can even process sales. Websites with e-commerce and purchasing options allow users to make direct purchases online, thus simplifying sales for both your staff and your customers.
5. Let there be data.
A business website provides crucial data that can be used to develop better products and create marketing strategies that get real results. A proactive business owner using analytical tools can put together a much more complete image of a typical customer than would be possible offline.
The days of people pulling out the bulky, printed copy of the Yellow Pages to find your business are gone and they won’t be returning. Having a website for your business is a “must have” and not just a “nice to have” element of being in business. Not having a website puts your business at a competitive disadvantage. A website gives you the opportunity to tell potential customers what you are about and why you deserve their trust and confidence.
