Top 10 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs a Website
84% of customers think if a business has a website it looks more credible than businesses that only have social media profiles. If you have any professional certifications or awards – show it off on your website!
You can also create a professional and branded email (e.g. yourname@yourbusiness.com) that adds up to the professional touch for your correspondence.
Fact : Some email marketing tools don’t even allow to send emails from personal addresses.
2. New Customers can be attracted via Google
We need to always keep improving customer turnover. To continuously succeed in your business goals, you need to keep attracting new customers. One of the best ways for this is to stay more visible on Google. A website gives you lots of access to tools and strategies for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And SEO is the key to making your business appear on the front page of Google. (add link to SEO blog)
3. Showcase high quality products with pictures
Just the way you decorate your shop and make sure your best products are on display, you can use high quality images and use website design! Publish important information about your products and services on your website to make sure you’re attracting the right customers.
4. Display your best reviews and testimonials prominently on your website
What can be better social proof than displaying your clientele and real testimonials?
Publishing your best reviews on your website also serves the secondary purpose of creating a permanent archive. This means that even if third-party review sites close at some point in the future, you’ll still have access to your best reviews.
5. Encourage customers to contact you through website
You can publish your contact information in a header or footer so it appears on every single page to make your contact information easily available to potential customers.
You can also get a contact form to understand customer requirements and avoid spam.
6. Integrate your website with Google Maps so people can find you more easily
A website lets you embed maps directly into your content. An embedded map makes it easy for people who don’t spend a lot of time in your area to find your business. If you hosts events, this feature is a plus!
7. Your website establishes your place in your industry
If your competitors are online there is no reason for you to not be. And if they are not, it is time for you to establish monopoly!
Creating a website gives you a space to share what your business is about, establish your role in the industry, and connect with the customers who need you.
8. Expand Your Working Hours
Having a website means that your content is available to users anytime during the day, at their convenience. So whether someone visits your website in the dead of the night or during the day, in some way you’re always interacting with them, and can say goodbye to that ‘closed for business’ sign. Being accessible at all times supports marketing and increases sales dramatically, and this is especially true for e-commerce companies. It also is a step towards effective customer service and relationship building, especially if you have AI-powered chatbots enabled on your website that can solve the basic problems of your customers when they need it the most.
9. A website ensures your success over the long term
As of January 2021, almost 4.66 billion people (59.5% of the global population) used the Internet.
Without a website, your business is invisible to these people. As we progress further into the digital era, your business will become invisible to everyone unless you invest in a website.
So to stay competitive in this increasingly digital world, your business needs to get online.
10. You can get all of these benefits without spending a fortune
You can get websites with a DIY process! There are many tools which you can use for a DIY website.
Simple drag and drop tools can help you create a basic website without spending too much money. If you are a little tech savvy you can keep optimising your website over time.
So, do I need a website for my business? The final verdict
Hopefully, by now you’ve realized that the question isn’t “do I need a website for my business”, but “can I afford to not have a website in the digital era”. The price of being left behind is more than having a website! Having a professionally designed, brand-differentiating website is critical to increasing sales, boosting the bottom line, and growing your business. It gives you a chance to be in front of the right target audience with your brand’s story. Moreover, having a basic website costs some pennies and can provide huge returns over the long run.
Your customers are online, your competitors are online, and if you’re not there to intervene, your competitors and your customers will connect, leaving you in the lurch.
Finally, if you have any questions about launching a website for your small business, contact us on info@galaxiesoftware.co.uk
