If you want to establish and build successful business (large or small), having a website is a must! It doesn’t matter how amazing your Facebook/Instagram page is doing, having a user-friendly website is always beneficial.
On social media, in terms of branding, we are pretty much limited to our profile picture and cover photo. On the other hand, on the website we can really show what and who we are as a brand. If business owns its own website, it shows credibility and professionalism.
Six out of ten consumers expect brands to provide online content about their business on some form of digital property, and more than half head straight to the brand’s site for product information. Since potential buyers are already looking for you online, including customer testimonials on your site is a great way to impress potential buyers.
However, only 51 percent of small businesses have websites, despite the fact that 97 percent of consumers search for products and services online. The gap between small companies and the growing number of consumers who search for products online, could be keeping entrepreneurs from millions of customers – and dollars.
A website helps you stand out on the market
A website not only helps businesses promote and sell their products and services, but it also allows them to distinguish themselves from their competitors, especially for customers who rely heavily on the internet to learn everything about a company. This makes a website one of the most important business tools for sharing information , building credibility and standing out on the market.
Your online presence also supports marketing campaigns, customer service, client relationship building, brand recognition and almost every other element of the revenue stream. Combining your website with marketing tools, like email marketing, helps you gain new customers and make profit.
If you don’t have a website for your business, the chances of showing up on the search engine results page are ZERO! But if you have one, you can optimize it for search engines, thereby increasing your chances of appearing at the top of Google’s results and getting more visibility with potential clients. Keywords, meta descriptions, and titles are just some of the things you can customize on your site to improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
You can also advertise your business on Google using Google AdWords. Additionally, software like Google Analytics helps you to see which search terms lead people to your site. If you take evidence on that data and regularly monitoring it, you can build comprehensive strategies that will help search results on Google be in your favor.
Readable and Professional Look
You want customers to take your company seriously. Invest in a site that looks professional and remember: “Your web presence is the image you are sharing with your potential customers.” Any unpleasant design can be a major turnoff for customers. The business that provides the best first impression usually get the customer.
Pick your domain name wisely
First, you need to choose your site’s Web address (domain name). Be careful when choosing a domain name. You need to be sure which domain extension (.com or .net) serves your business in a best way. Select a name that is short, catchy and memorable. Remember, the domain name is the trademark for your company.
If you own a business that does not have a website, and this fact so far doesn’t persuade you to develop an online presence, here are five more reasons.
No Website – No progress
By now, it should be clear that if you don’t have presence on the web, you are missing out opportunities for potential customers to identify who you are and buy your product or service. But be careful, if no website is equal to no business progress, a bad site can be worse, because it makes your company look bad. Both, no website or bad website are really bad for every business.
Collecting Data for Lead Generation
People leave their e-mail addresses on websites very often. Once you have them, you have another way to get in touch with your potential clients. Remember: It is always a great idea to “give” them something in return for the e-mail address, such as newsletter, ebook or some special report.
Online Marketing is an Option Now
When you have a website, you have a great tool to market your business. Social media, Google, Youtube and … If you have a great website, you have a clear path for easy and effective marketing.
Always Available
Your website is available 24/7. When you are unable to answer the phone, you can be sure that your website is available to answer your customers questions for you.
You can test new ideas
Your website is the quickest medium for releasing new ideas. You can create and publish new content within minutes at no cost. At your website, you can always test your ideas before committing to an expensive campaign.