Let’s face it COVID has changed the world for the foreseeable future.
To stay connected, people now spend more time online than ever before. People use it for work, to shop, and even to buy groceries.
It has become an integral part of how our society gets through the week. When you need anything, you search for a place to buy it online or even a location that sells it.
Today, regardless of industry, a business’s online presence can have a massive impact on its success.
36% of small businesses don’t have their own website, 64 percent of them do. That leads to the question of why you should have one.
Your Customers Now Expect It
63% of shopping occasions begin online. Even if your customers buy from you in-store, they started that journey online.
You should think of your website as a store location. It’s like a digital property, your sign out front like your homepage and each product page like a shelf containing your products.
If you don’t have a business website, your potential customers may overlook you and drive right by.
Establishes Your Small Business Brand
Showcasing your brand to your prospective customers is one of the most important things you can do as a business owner.
Defining who you are as a company and what you represent will increase your customers’ chances of buying from you.
Selling in today’s social media world is not about making the sale but building a connection. It’s those connections that drive awareness and help build your brand.
Your Competitors Are Building Theirs
The reality is with affordable website builders like Wix and Squarespace, it is easier than ever to get a business website.
If you’re not staying competitive with a professional business website, you’re giving shoppers a reason to buy from another brand.
89% of consumers began doing business with a competitor because of a poor customer experience.
If you’re a small business, don’t hesitate to seek out web design companies, as they can make the process of starting a website painless.
Join The E-commerce Revolution
One of the most growing reasons to have a website for your small business is e-commerce.
E-commerce sales grew by 30.1% from 2019 to 2020.
While not every business is the right fit for an online store, it is a strategy businesses should consider. Online stores gain you crucial insight into who your ideal customers are and how they found your business.
An online store can mean a dramatic boost in sales, especially when you factor in customers who are not restricted by geography.
Insights Into Your Customers
Tragically, most small businesses don’t research who their customers are and how those customers found them. If you aren’t doing some form of customer research, you’re missing an opportunity to grow your business.
Your website is an excellent tool for discovering who those customers are. By embedded tools like Google Analytics on your website, you can find how customers reached your website.
This type of information allows you to boost sales by transforming your business into a customer grabbing machine.
Quality Customer Service
How often does your business get phone calls from customers asking the same question? For most businesses, the answer is often. The reality is if you miss that call, the customer is left unhappy.
Calls can also distract your staff from focusing on the most essential parts of your business.
Having a professional website can reduce these calls by proactively providing answers. This ultimately reduces phone calls and allows your business to focus on more critical tasks.
In the end, this provides for a better customer experience that makes your business stand out from the competition.
Keep Your Customers Informed
Having a website gives you the ability to update your customers 24/7.
This means that even when your staff is not available, your website can provide helpful information. It can serve as a point of contact or even allow customers to make purchases.
Digital Marketing & Advertising Are No Longer For Big Business
The impact of business websites today can be massively improved with the aid of digital marketing.
Combining your website with marketing tools, like email marketing, helps you reach new customers and generate repeat business.
Digital marketing isn’t just about outreach though it’s about crafting a well thought out user experience. It combines custom website design, search engine optimization, PPC, and various other tools to ensure a return on investment.
More Affordable Than Ever
Gone are the days of having to use expensive developers and coders to build a website. Affordable custom website design does exist.
Most small business owners can build a website using the various online website builder out there.
Just be aware that you get what you pay for. There is no such thing as an excellent cheap website. You should start by planning your business goals then choosing an affordable web design solution that meets them.
Showcase Your Products or Services
47% of website visitors check out a company’s products/services page before looking at any other site sections.
Having a website allows you to showcase your product or service in style by adding images, videos, testimonials, and other relevant information.
