If your small business is already doing well, then you may be asking yourself whether you need a website at all.
Do I need a website?
A website is generally considered a ‘must have’ asset for any business trading today, but why? For those who are already doing well without one, it might seem like an unnecessary expense, but we’ve got 7 great reasons why your business will be better with one.
A website gives you greater credibility
An estimated 75% of customers look at a company’s website before they decide to get in touch. People want to get a feel for your company before they book services or make a purchase and to check that you are credible. Even a simple one-page website can provide credibility and cement you as a trustworthy source to prospective customers.
A place to send friends
Referrals or ‘word-of-mouth’ is the most valuable kind of marketing there is. If your customers love what you do, they will want to tell others about you. A website provides them with a single point of contact for people’s friends and family to visit with a place to buy or book a service.
Less time dealing with initial queries
Small businesses spend a disproportionate amount of time speaking to customers. In many cases, people don’t call if they can’t see this kind of information up-front. If you’re getting more contacts than you can easily deal with, consider channelling customers through a website. You can provide information for them upfront, have organised channels for them to get in touch and even have them buy or book online themselves.
Breaking down the barriers
When customers don’t feel like they know your business very well they can feel intimidated about getting in touch. Consider having a website where you can showcase your business and provide photographs of who customers will be talking to when they contact you, to encourage them to get in touch.
Updates and announcements
If you need to communicate something to customers, your website is the place to do it. Changes in opening hours, service changes and new products can all be displayed on a well-designed home page. If you have a great content management system, you can make changes like this for free whenever you need a website update.
Quality control
Without a website, it can be difficult to communicate the great quality of your products or services. With a website, you control the way customers see everything. Good quality photographs of what you do or sell will showcase just how good your service is. If customers can see the quality, they are more likely to buy or book. They may also see justification in paying a higher premium if you provide a higher quality product or service than competitors.
One site to rule them all
You may have a fantastic Facebook page, a high rating on your Google Business Listing and a huge Instagram following, but it can be hard for customers to link together. If your social media presence is your pride and joy, consider a site that displays all of your hard work in one place. It will serve as a reinforcement for customers that visit your social media sites and give them a greater incentive to purchase or book.
Get more customers
A great website showcases what’s best about your business. Even if you aren’t actively marketing it through Google or Facebook ads, it will still provide you with all of the benefits we’ve mentioned. When people feel comfortable with your company they are more likely to buy from you. If you have got your messaging right, you can even tailor your content to your target customer. This means higher quality contacts who are willing to pay more for what makes your company unique.
Talk to us!
If you are considering a website for your business contact us to talk it through. We’ll help guide your ideas and with any aspect of dealing with your business on the web. Our telephone consultations are always free and we absolutely love working out ways to bring your ideas to life.
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