The world has come a long way since the days when the only to get a product or service was by physically visiting the business’s listed address. The digital age changed everything, from how we live to how we consume products and services. In the digital age, your business website is usually the first impression potential clients, employees and investors get of your business; it tells them everything they want to know about your company and whether or not they would like to do business with you.
Still don’t think you need a website for your business? Here are more reasons that might change your mind.
Shows credibility
A dedicated business website lends credibility to your business. Whether you have been in business for a few months, years, or even decades, your business needs a website to let potential clients and other stakeholders know that you can be trusted over your competitors. With many different people potentially offering a service or product similar to yours, customers may need a slight nudge in your direction, and your website is the perfect way to show off your unique attributes.
Builds your brand
Your brand is your ethics, values, products and services all wrapped up into one. It’s the distinguishing mark that sets you apart in the marketplace and elevates your product/ service offering above the market noise. Your brand has the power to raise support for your business, shut competitors out of the marketplace and create a cult-like following amongst your strongest advocates. For this reason, your company brand must not only be protected but continuously communicated. A website is a great way to express all that makes your brand unique and strengthen loyalty while at the same time winning new hearts over.
Generates Leads
As explained in the previous point, your website directs traffic and leads to sales. Your business website must be expertly designed with a seamless user interface that allows for a great experience. The colours, copy, and images must be attractive and in line with your brand aesthetic. With a seamless user experience and straightforward call to action, your website will lead to increased sales not just online but could also easily direct traffic to your physical location.
Brings organic traffic
The purpose of having your website optimised for SEO is to generate leads through search engine searches. When a potential customer types a query into Google, they can be immediately directed to your website leading to a potential sale. With an SEO- optimised website, you’ll be well on your way to directing Organic Traffic to your website.
Save on customer service
Having a dedicated team of customer services representatives might be expensive (especially for a start-up), making it imperative to have a website on which important customer queries are answered. Questions about location, timelines, delivery processes, hours of operation and other FAQs can be addressed quickly on your website and at a lower cost than you would incur if you had to pay a team of customer service representatives.
Easy to build and manage
Managing a website might seem like a daunting task to many, but with the increase in technological innovation, the process has become much easier. The process has been simplified with content management systems (CMS) like CMS hub or WordPress and platforms such as Shopify, Wix and others.
Updates, announcements and offers
Assuming your website stays live 24/7, it’s easy to post updates, offers and any other information you might want potential customers to know about your business. This is especially perfect for time-limited offers that can drive massive amounts of traffic to your website within the specified time. Significant changes such as new product ranges, locations or price changes can stay accessible to your target audience, negating the need to communicate those details on your social media constantly.
Digital marketing
In order to get the most out of your social media pages, it’s advised to have a website or landing page where traffic can be driven. A business website can also be mined for customer data, making it easier to craft targeted ads directed at those most likely to respond positively. Your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media pages can be linked to your website to create a digital feedback loop that directs customers from one level to another and increases not only brand awareness but also sales.
Independent of social media platforms
Imagine a scenario where Facebook decides to shut down all its affiliated social media pages; for businesses with only Facebook, Instagram and the like, it would be a poison pill that sends them out of the market. It’s important to remember the fact that despite the name that appears on your Facebook and Instagram accounts, you don’t own the platform. Therefore, a safer option is to have a dedicated website for your business.
Facebook has SEO limitations
Regarding organic traffic, Google beats Facebook by far and is, therefore, a more relevant platform to drive traffic to your website. With over 3.5 billion daily queries, Google is evidence that it presents greater opportunities for generating traffic and leads. With a business website, you’re well-positioned for when people google a query related to your product or service offering.
Social media attention is short-lived
Social media is highly competitive, with people’s attention being drawn in a million different directions every minute. With your business only listed on social media, you’re constantly competing for your target audience’s attention, which, even when attained, lasts only a few seconds. A website or landing page is a quick way to grab and direct your audience’s attention to a “quieter” location where you can sell your service or product.
Lasting value
The best thing about a business website is that it continues to give revenue long after you first invest in it. Unlike social media ads that run for a limited time, your website offers a great ROI for a long time.
Close sales online
The Coronavirus pandemic demonstrated how important it is to have an online presence. Many businesses found they could no longer sell directly to their clients owing to lock-down directives. With a website, this problem is immediately eliminated as you can communicate, advertise and sell to your customers without physically meeting them.
The world has changed, and it might not be too far a stretch to imagine a future where a physical location for your business is secondary to your online presence. A website might be imperative if your business goals include visibility, credibility and lead generation.