There was once a time not too long ago when running a business and not having a website was a viable option. Brick and mortar retail were still the primary outlet for most consumers to purchase something. Not nearly as many people were online and an even smaller percentage were comfortable actually making purchases online.
Fast forward what seems like a short decade and the uptick in online users has risen drastically in the last 10 years and continues to grow at a rapid rate. With the rise of Cryptocurrencies and Web3 which is based on Block chain technologies, that growth seemingly has no end in sight. The covid-19 pandemic really increased that percentage in online activity with over “” in 2020. If these types of numbers are not evidence enough regarding the importance of having a website as a business/company or brand we’ll give you our top 5 reasons based on our experience with companies who had no online presence.
Not every business sells a physical product but all businesses do sell some sort of product or service. In the past businesses mainly relied on clients coming to them in order to generate any sort of revenue but things have since changed. One of the most visible changes to the consumer landscape is probably within the restaurant industry in terms of the ability to order virtually anything you want at the click of a button. Apps like Ubereats, Doordash and others provide these types of secondary sales channels similar to what a website does.
Today, consumers want products and they want them at times convenient to them, not just within business operating hours.
With that being said having a website is like having a 24-hour store for your products without you having to be there. There are without a doubt management that will need to be take care of in regards to your website but you can look at it like a full-time sales employee that reports to a manager.
Generating and closing on leads is one of the most important financial aspects of running a good business. Mainly the purpose of having a website for your business is for it to generate you leads or sell your product. You can see how these can go hand in hand.
The process is simple in nature, a potential client is looking for your services you offer and they come across your website through the Google search engine they fill out a form or call you for more information. Lead created. From there, you’ll work your magic and acquire the customer.
A study by Datareportal showed that “31.7% of internet users discover brands with search engines, the most common channel for brand discovery above TV ads”.
Now just having a website up is not enough to generate leads, you’ll have to pull up on search engines for potential customers to find you first.
With a fast, strategically structured website that is optimized for search engines (SEO) and populated with relevant content to your potential clients you can easily begin to show up in search engines like Google when customers are looking for services like yours or similar.
Exposure is something all great businesses excel in. This is both difficult and can be a costly endeavor for most businesses. There are many free social media platforms in which you can utilize in this process but as strong as they are they too come with their limitations. This is why getting a website for your business is a great idea. As mentioned earlier, your website is available 24-hours but it’s also available globally to anybody in the world with an internet connection as long as you pay your hosting bill (Rent).
Another study by Datareportal showed “58.4% of internet users buy something online every week”. With over over 80% of the US population online today, that’s a lot of exposure.
In this economy with everyone connected within a millisecond, people are connecting with others from various parts of the globe and participating in commerce or some sort of exchange of services on the daily. Building a website for your business is probably one of the best beginner tactics with minimal costs to expose your business or brand at a global the level.
Many studies have been done over the years regarding how we look at businesses who have websites as opposed to those who don’t. Studies show that consumers do tend to have more trust in business, companies or brands that have their own website.
A website just like your profile on a social media platform is a part of your digital real estate and it’s something all business owners must take stake seriously to ensure a professional cohesive branding amongst all channels. Having the correct right domain name is as important as having a phone number to your business as it’s your digital phone number.
Businesses can post on social media platforms as much as they want but it’s important to wrap these platforms around your website and not the other way around. Your website shows professionalism in the sense that you value your brand but it also gives you the opportunity to present your values as a business. This type of transparency is extremely enticing to consumers as “52% of online shoppers are attracted to brands that share their values. And 66% of them to brands that are transparent with the sources of their materials, their company culture, and how they treat their employees (Accenture).” Most consumers are going to check a website or reviews online about a business before they ever consider making a purchase.
How often do you find yourself having to tell someone to check your Instagram to find out more about your business or you’re going back and forth in email threads with potential clients answering the same questions over and over?
A website should be your first line of defence for all questions and answers a client, customer or potential customer should have about your business brand or product. We’re not saying to have no contact with your clients but you should be spending that time running your business and filtering the most pertinent matters of your day.
With a simple FAQ section and a detailed contact form, anyone with questions will have them answered or can simply contact you using a form on your website. This way you don’t have to constantly deal with the back and forth of repetitive questions.
At the end of the day, it’s getting harder and harder to succeed in the climate without some sort of online presence as that’s where all the consumers are. You don’t need to feel as if you need a large website with all this information, you just simply need a well-structured website that is fast, SEO optimized and populated with relevant content for your consumers. As long as your consumers can find relevance in the content or products you provide, they will see no reason to continue supporting you.
If you’re thinking of building a website for your business / company or brand we’d love to provide you a free consultation on the steps you’ll need to get started.